Chapter Thirty-One

Avon lay unconscious, his face as pale as the sheet that covered the bed, and eyes active beneath closed lids. Even though he could no longer see, it did not close him to the world inside his mind.

Crew and rebel leaders stood shoulder-to-shoulder around him, watching with tense and anxious faces, this man who had only minutes ago, on the screen that was now black, killed a friend out of love.

Argus was bent over him like a silent sentinel on one side, Cally tending to him on the other, and Vila staring from the foot of the bed, his eyes brimming with tears.

Avalon asked, "How is he?"

Cally looked up, wondering what she was truly asking. "His life is in no immediate danger. The shock of what he saw was too much for his mind."

"You mean he fainted?"

"Yes. He should be given time to rest. He's still very weak. I would like to remove him to the medical unit."

Avalon looked around at her fellow leaders but there were no objections, only stunned faces still trying to recover from what they had seen. "By all means. My men will help you." She gestured to a few of the rebel guards to accompany them. "Vila, can you stay?"

**********

A place was made for Vila and Argus at the table as the rebels returned to their seats.

It was a different atmosphere now. It was no longer a jury, or even a group of major rebel leaders, they were fourteen confused individuals trying to make sense of the new world that had opened up before them, and trying not to be swallowed up by it.

Avalon spoke first. "Alright, what do you think?"

Case asked the one question that was on the tip of their tongues, "Is that what really happened?"

Dr. Kendall, his hands steepled before him again. "Cally said that Avon and Vila's memories were tampered with by the Federation. That they don't know the full truth of what happened. I want to know what Vila does remember."

Vila looked around nervously at the exalted company. They were a driven and determined crowd, men and women who commanded and expected people to follow. Rebels with a cause. Some like Blake. Intimidating and could make him quake in his boots by just staring at him. Others nicer, like Dr. Kendall, but far too serious.

Argus nodded slightly to him, encouraging warmth in his eyes. Vila found that it helped. He was not alone amongst strangers. "I don't know how much I can help."

Case, the hefty looking rebel said kindly, "Just tell us as much as you can remember."

"Well, alright. Everything's the same except that last bit. Tarrant told us Blake had betrayed us. Avon didn't want to believe it. He kept asking Blake but Blake wouldn't give him a straight answer. Then…well, you saw the rest. The part where Avon was about to shoot Blake, in my head, he did shoot him. Blake died and Avon realized he'd made a horrible mistake. Then the woman told us who she was. I…knocked her out but then I was shot. Don't remember what happened after that. "

Case said, "That's interesting. So in both versions, there's a Federation spy."

"Yes," said Vila. "I remember her. We were never introduced and she never told us her name. But she said she was a Federation officer."

Dr. Kendall said, "That is interesting. In Vila's version, we are led to believe that Blake's shooting was the result of a terrible misunderstanding. In the other…"

Avalon said, "I'm inclined to believe the version we just saw."

Nalini asked sharply, "Why?"

Argus's eyes were thoughtful. "Because the one we saw reveals something that Vila's version doesn't. Something that they would not want us to know."

Avalon nodded. "Yes. The Federation wouldn't want us to know that we had all been duped. That Blake had been under their control from the beginning. If this gets out, it would destroy our whole movement. No one would want to join us if they knew we had been deceived so badly. And that the man we had all pinned our hopes on was nothing more than an illusion created by our enemies."

Nalini said angrily, "We'd be a laughing stock!"

Avalon said fiercely, "We can't let that happen. This recording must be destroyed. It must never leave this room. We must never talk about it again."

Vila raised a hesitant hand. "I don't understand."

Avalon asked, "What don't you understand, Vila?"

"If these recordings are so dangerous to the rebel alliance and they had them all along, then why didn't they use them to destroy you?"

Everyone looked at each other, dumbfounded looks on their faces.

Kendal said, "He makes a very good point."

Avalon mused, "Yes, a very good point."

Argus was starting to get a headache. He had thought that showing the Gauda Prime recordings and exonerating Avon would be all that was required. Now there were levels upon levels of conspiracies and it looked as if they'd only peeled off the first layer or two. He muttered, "Sester." He wished that the wretched psychostrategist were here. He might be able to make sense of this.

Avalon leaned towards him, "What did you say?"

"I…nothing."

She looked oddly at him. "I thought you'd said something."

"Just…clearing my throat. It's dry in here."

"Yes, I do find that." She slid over a nearby pitcher of water, filled a glass, and gave it to him.

Argus stared at the liquid that he didn't really need, and took an obligatory drink. "Thanks."

"What do you think?"

She's asking me about devious plots?Argus really wished Sester were here and he wondered how Avon was. Being anywhere but here seemed good right now.

Rebel leader might be what these people called him but it didn't mean that he liked it. All he wanted to do was get the job done and move on. Not all of these meetings, intrigues and politics.

Not to mention, he didn't have anything useful to add. "I…I have a question first."

"What's the question?"

"I noticed that none of you seems to be questioning the validity of what we saw. Do you still need verification?"

The rebel leaders all looked at each other.

Paraic, the ex-military man, said, "It's too fantastic. It has to be real."

Rondor laughed. "With logic like that…"

Avalon said, "It fits."

Nalini asked, "You believe that Blake was…used by the Federation?"

"It does explain some very strange coincidences around Blake. Things that I had not wanted to consider before. He did some good things but there were also other disturbing rumours. Some people wanted to know why none of the rebel groups survived working with Blake. And Paraic's experience with him. Vila, Paraic's experience on Jevron, does that sound like the Blake you knew?"

Vila squirmed in his seat, not wanting to be the centre of attention. "Well…Blake was like that when we went to Control. When Gan died. We weren't happy with him after that. We'd thought of dumping him and going on our own. But we took him back. Blake…he did care about us. I don't think he wanted to do some of the things he did but he thought he had to."

"And what about Blake's resistance to being a unifying force for the rebellion. Did you see any evidence of that?"

"Well…I suppose I did. Avon told Blake he should go to Earth and unite the rebel groups there. He said that before we went to Control and when we were at Star One. Blake didn't seem interested."

Avalon looked up, her eyes focused in thought. "Alright. That seems to match the recordings."

Argus said, "The Federation agent said that Blake was used to destroy Bran Foster."

"Twice."

"Dev Tarrant may have been running him then."

Rondor stood up, "We'll get the truth out of him then."

Argus eyed him, "What do you plan to do?"

A raspy voice could be heard from the doorway. "He plans to force the information out of him, of course."

They all turned to look at the pale-faced Sester leaning against Kirsten at the doorway. A sheen of sweat coated his brow, and he was huffing as if he had run several miles.

Sester looked up at the tall man guarding the doorway. He asked with amusement, "Are you going to let me in? Or should I faint out here in the corridor?"

Avalon gestured to the guard to let him through. The injured man, relying heavily on Kirsten to keep him upright and mobile, came towards them. Every step seemed to be accompanied by a tightening of his jaw.

Argus stood up. "What are you doing here? You should still be in the medical unit."

Sester took a few breaths trying to recover. "Believe me, you couldn't drag me away from there once I'm done here."

"How did you escape? I mean, who let you out of the medical unit?"

There was a light grin on Sester's face.

Avalon asked, "Is this Chuck? The one who brought the data crystal?"

Argus started. "Chuck?"

Sester's grin widened.

Avalon stared between the two of them. "He reported his name as Chuck."

Sester said, "It's a nickname. Argus gave it to me."

A low growl formed at the back of Argus's throat.

Avalon had her men bring two more chairs and a grateful Sester sat down gingerly, trying not to wince. "We owe you a debt of gratitude for retrieving the crystal at great danger to yourself."

"It was the least I could do," Sester said sincerely.

"But Argus is right, you should be recovering. Is there an urgent matter you came to see us about?"

Sester shifted uncomfortably as he tried to find a better position. "Avon was brought in a little while ago. I surmised that you had seen the recordings."

Argus asked suspiciously, "Have you seen them?"

Sester flashed an impish grin at him. "If I had been awake, I would have tried to. I must admit to a flaw in curiosity."

"Then why are you here?" asked Argus.

"While I did not see them personally, I did have Cally tell me what was in the recordings."

Argus had a light scowl on his face. "And?"

"I thought you might need my help. There are two issues you need to consider. There are a few more but those are the only ones you would be interested in. One is to determine if the recordings are real. The second is why the Federation did not use these in order to destroy the rebel alliance."

Avalon regarded him speculatively. "You seem to have anticipated our discussions."

"It wasn't that difficult," said Sester dismissively.

"Who are you?"

Sester had his eyes on Argus, a glint of amusement reflected in his eyes.

Argus tried to avoid sounding annoyed, "He's a member of my crew."

Sester almost chuckled but covered it with a cough, which was unfortunate because that sent a stab of pain through his back. He groaned.

Argus said, "You should get back to the medical unit. I'll call for a stretcher."

"Not until I'm able to impart my dubious wisdom. Then you can kick me out."

"I am not kicking you out."

"It's all relative, isn't it?" said Sester.

Avalon said to Argus, with sympathy in her eyes, "Does he often give you a headache? Because I can feel one coming on now."

Argus grumbled, "You have no idea."

Sester favoured the two leaders with a big grin. "Now, to business." The image of the light rogue disappeared from his face. "First of all, trying to question Dev Tarrant, a Federation spy, regardless of whichever charming methods you were contemplating on using, would not work unless you had time, a strong stomach and very little conscience. I'll let you decide which one you don't posses."

Nalini's eyes narrowed, "Did he just insult us?"

Sester almost laughed. "It's a self-revealing question. No insult was intended." Unless you perceive it as one. "As a Federation spy, he would be trained to resist torture. It is one of the hazards of being an undercover agent. Beyond which, you can't be certain that the information he is giving you can be trusted."

Avalon nodded. "You're right. They are a tough and devious lot. The time it would take to extract information from him…we might as well have the memory blocks removed. "

Sester cocked his head at her. "I didn't say that you couldn't get useful information out of him. There are other methods rather than brute force." A conspiratorial grin made him look the rogue again.

"Such as?"

"You can trick him into revealing what he knows."

"How?" asked Avalon.

"That's fairly easy. He knows you have the recordings but I doubt if he knows what's on them. I'll leave the rest to your creative imaginations. Now to the second issue."

Sester was tiring and almost leaned back but Kirsten placed her hand lightly on his shoulder. He nodded appreciatively.

His head felt dizzy. He knew he had misjudged his own physical condition and was in danger of leaving the second half of his task unfinished. He didn't want to complete it lying on the ground, it would be highly undignified, and not to mention Kirsten would be here to witness it.

He picked up the pace, no longer bothering to be witty or confounding. "The work Blake was doing for them was far more important than just destroying all of you. You should have realized that when you caught Dev Tarrant."

Argus put his hand to his head. He was definitely getting a headache and this one had a name on it, but he found that he understood what Sester was trying to get at. "Dev wasn't trying to kill the rebel leaders."

Avalon said, "That's true…they could easily have wiped out all resistance leadership for years and left us in chaos."

Sester said, "Yes. They learned an important lesson after they used Blake the first time. When he renounced the resistance, it struck a great blow to all rebel movements throughout the Federation. People were rounded up and others betrayed by the people that they were trying to help. The rebellion went deep underground for years afterwards. But…" He paused a moment, satisfied that all faces were indicating rapt attention. "…it came back. They recognized that as long as there is dissent and dissatisfaction, there would be rebellion. That is an immutable fact that they cannot change. They do not have the resources to control everyone."

Dr. Kendall said, "But they have tried to with suppressants and Pylene-50."

"Yes but they soon found out that suppressants only have limited success and Pylene-50 leaves a population useless except for basic tasks. They must have decided that if the rebels couldn't be beaten into oblivion, then they would control them. Allow serious dissenters just enough to satisfy their rebellious urges. And for the general population, they provide entertainment and the illusion of heroes who will do their fighting for them, people they can cheer and applaud. The heroes become their rebellious surrogates and a source of hope. They live out their rebellious tendencies vicariously. If it is handled correctly, then the general population is satisfied enough that they are not moved to active rebellion."

Avalon had been staring at him, "Who are you?"

Sester said deprecatingly, "A man."

"An evasive man."

The psychostrategist inclined his head.

Avalon turned to Argus. "I suppose you know but you're not going to tell me?"

Argus definitely did not want these people knowing that he had been harbouring Servalan's psychostrategist. It had already been hard enough trying to convince them of Avon's innocence. "He's a private man."

"You have an interesting crew, Argus. This information that Chuck has given us, sounds like Federation knowledge." She turned to Sester. "Are you like Argus? Did you used to be Federation?"

Sester smiled. "No. Anyone who has the skills to interpret the information correctly, would come to the same conclusion, given the relevant facts."

"Then you are a man with rare talents."

"Talents certainly."

Argus muttered dryly, "And don't forget modesty."

There was a flicker of a grin on Sester's face. "Now, if you would excuse me, my work here is done. I have to…" His legs were shaky as he got up. He couldn't understand why Kirsten suddenly grabbed his arm. "I…have to…" He forgot what he had been trying to do and someone seemed to have placed a film of something over his eyes. Sester brushed at it. Kirsten's beautiful face swam into view. He smiled brightly at her. "Kir…." The ground rushed up to meet him. Somewhere distant a man cried out in pain and then there was darkness.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Restlessly, Avon's head tossed from side-to-side, reacting to images only he could see, ones that resided inside his mind. Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. Lines of stress, like slices cut deeply into his skin, and his lips twitching in the semblance of speech that no one could hear.

Cally soaked a cloth in a nearby basin and squeezed it, a bit too tightly, as anguish came over her and she bent her head. The image of Avon's face as he shot Blake on the screen, the pain and anguish…she had sensed Avon, her Avon reliving the same experience all over again.

And, as on that day, his mind had been sent into emotional turmoil, like a sudden surge of overwhelming power overloading his mental circuits. But this time, because of his weakened condition, it didn't just paralyze him; it had caused his mind to close down to protect itself.

She hoped that with the revealing of the truth of Gauda Prime, a major source of his nightmares would fade back into whatever hell Servalan had dragged them from but she knew it wasn't over yet. There was a new type of anguish that came with the truth and she knew that with Avon's personality, no matter what he said about regrets, he was a man who could not let go of them. If he had, he would have been able to let go of Anna instead of seeking her murderer years after she had died.

Avon was a man who felt deeply and hid too much, at times even from himself, until he was ready to act.

She breathed in deeply, a brief mental exercise that cleared the mind and brought the anguish to a level where she could function. Avon needed her.

The cloth was cool, bathing Avon's damp forehead. His hair was matted and clung to his face. She brushed it back, caressing his cheek as she did, and wishing that their mental connection had not been severed.

If it had been possible, she would have ripped the device from his head.

Cally missed the 'feel' of his mind. The inherent strength and the brokenness that gave him a vulnerability that he hated and steadfastly refused to acknowledge.

The discipline and order. The depth. The coldness on one hand and the passion that lurked beneath. The dry humour. The way he saw himself, as a mind that surpassed others but for everything else, he considered himself of little worth. At times, not even considering himself as human. He knew what others wanted of him and he did not think that he had it to give.

She would have to ask the Tellaran surgeons to remove the device as soon as possible.

Jenna slipped into the room, like a shadow that only belonged in dark corners. She had stayed near the cargo bay where the meeting was being held and saw Avon being brought out. Afraid of being seen, she had followed at a discreet distance until they had reached the medical unit.

After Sester had staggered out of the medical unit with Kirsten, she could not hold off any longer.

"How is he?" she asked fearfully, expecting to be thrown out bodily.

Fired burned in Cally's eyes. If she had been a dragon, Jenna would have been burnt to a crisp, leaving nothing but a pile of ashes. "Haven't you done enough!"

"I'm sorry, Cally. I know…I deserve whatever you want to do to me, but I'm truly sorry. It's not much…"

Cally's anger was explosive. "Nothing you do will ever be enough for what you did to Avon!"

Jenna fought back tears. She felt terrible enough and now, it was even worse. "I know…I…only wanted to see how he was. I'll leave now."

She turned to go but Cally grabbed her arm in a grip that was fuelled by fury. "Did you know that it was all for nothing?! You tortured him and you destroyed his eyes…all for nothing?!" Every word was a fiery blade plunging deep into Jenna's heart.

"W-what do you mean?"

"Avon didn't murder Blake."

"I know. It was a terrible mistake. I…"

"Blake asked Avon to kill him." Cally let go of her and looked down at Avon.

Jenna staggered back and her face lost all colour. "I…don't understand."

"The Federation used Blake. They have been all along. The conditioning he received, the one you tried to help him break, we never understood the extent of it. They used him, Jenna, to destroy any rebels that posed a threat. We were too blind to notice."

Jenna took another staggered step back, her legs felt weak and her mind rebelled at the idea. "But…that can't be true. Blake fought the Federation."

"That's why we never noticed. All that he did had a good purpose. He believed it. We believed it. But how many rebel groups that he worked with ended up destroyed, Jenna?"

"It…can't…" Her forehead creased as her mind ranged back, trying to recall every detail that she could remember of Blake's struggle against his powerful enemy. Foster. Avalon. Kasabi. Kurlis. Otark. Jevron. Chetis. Deva.

"It…can't be…" Jenna felt sick to her stomach. All the pointless deaths. Blake had recognized it at Star One, but he couldn't stop.

A raspy voice finished her sentence, "He had to continue fighting."

Shocked eyes turned to the conscious Avon.

"That was his strength, his refusal to give up." Avon lifted his head, trying to get up but fell back in frustration. Cally gently placed her hands under his shoulders and guided him up to a sitting position. "The Federation used it for their purposes."

Jenna's face fell, her eyes wet again as her illusions kept crashing down around her, leaving behind the ugly truth. Each word was painful, "They used him against the resistance."

Avon turned his head towards her. His voice was impassive, but not overly so. "I'm afraid so."

"Cally…said that Blake asked you to kill him?" Avon's sightless eyes seemed to bore into hers even though it was impossible. Her own eyes lowered.

Avon's breathing quickened and his heart was racing again. "He did not want them to use him any longer."

Feeling his distress, Cally placed a gentle hand on his arm.

Jenna's lips pursed and she nodded. "He was always more afraid of living as a slave than dying."

There was the barest of quivers in Avon's voice, so slight that only the most sensitive could hear it. "In the end, he was still a rebel."

Avalon's voice came from the doorway, "They could not take that away from him."

She came in, followed by Kirsten, Vila and the rebel leaders. Argus and one of the leaders were carrying an unconscious Sester between them. They laid him carefully on his bed and stepped back as the Tellaran doctors tended to his injuries.

Sounds of "tsk- tsk" accompanied their examinations as they discovered that he had managed to reopen his wound. Leaving 'Chuck' in their capable hands, and under the watchful eyes of Kirsten, they gathered around Avon.

Avalon said stiffly, "Jenna."

Jenna couldn't meet her eyes. "I should leave."

"Stay." All eyes turned with surprise to Avon, who had slid to the side of the bed and was perched on the edge. Argus once again stood sentinel by his side.

Jenna looked around uncertainly, "I don't think I'm welcome here."

Vila said, "You can say that again."

Jenna took a step to go but Avon said again, "Stay." He turned his head in the direction where he had heard Avalon's voice. "Avalon."

"I'm here, Avon," The rebel leader had moved closer.

Avon's head tilted towards her. "Have you come to a verdict?"

Avalon started. "We haven't taken a vote, but I think we can now."

Dr. Kendall said, "This is highly irregular."

Avalon said, "This whole thing is highly irregular but I don't think it will matter where we take the vote, the results will be the same. Does anyone want to wait until the memory blocks are removed?"

The rebel leaders exchanged glances.

Case said, "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready now. I vote not guilty."

Dr. Kendall nodded. "As do I."

Nalini stared at the waiting Avon. "I want proof eventually. But for now, I will accept the evidence of the recordings."

Paraic said, "I'm convinced."

Rondor and the others agreed with Nalini. They wanted the memory blocks broken but for now, they were willing to accept the recordings.

Avalon said, "I also agree. The memory blocks need to be dealt with for everyone's peace of mind, including yours, Avon. But in the meantime, I will also accept the recordings."

Cally asked, "What does this mean?"

Avalon's eyes softened. "As the adjudicating member of this tribunal, and on behalf of my fellow leaders, we find Kerr Avon, not guilty of all charges. In fact, we all owe you a great deal, because of what you did for Blake, for the rebel alliance and…because of what was done to you. For that, we are truly regretful. If there is anything that we can do for you, any specialists that would help you, we…"

Paraic said with confidence, "We will bring them to you. Kicking and screaming if we have to."

Cally said, "That will not be necessary."

Avalon nodded. "Of course, your ship has advanced medical equipment."

"The Tellarans also have advanced knowledge. They were able to repair Avon's heart. I'm hoping that they may be able to help with his eyes."

"I hope they will."

Avon found he had no feelings one way or the other about the verdict once it was pronounced. "What will you tell the others?"

"Ah," said Avalon. "We will need to decide that. Obviously we can't tell them the truth."

The others agreed that under no circumstance should anyone outside of their group be allowed to know what happened on Gauda Prime.

Avon said, "The Federation altered the security logs to produce the false version. I propose that we do the same."

The hefty rebel leader, Case, said, "We might be able to push it on the Federation agent. Edit out most of her speech. Use footage of her shooting."

Rondor said, "But we don't have anyone who has that kind of skill."

"I do," said Avon.

"But…Avon…" Vila's voice trailed off. "You can't see. How can you…"

Avon grimaced. "I'm aware of that. I can guide someone in what is required. We will require a top line technician in the computer field."

"Someone we can trust," stressed Avalon.

"Quite."

Argus said, "We know someone. We've worked with them before. They're mercenaries but they only work with members of the alliance."

Avon cocked his head in thought. "You're referring to Ture and Allren?"

"Will they do?"

"Yes."

For the first time since boarding the ship, Avalon smiled. "We will be able to use this against the Federation. Blake will remain the hero and he will become the martyr that the resistance needs him to be. And we now have a living hero, the man who stood by his friend and who survived terrible torture by the Federation but refused to betray us."

Avon's lips parted in displeasure. "You will not make me into a hero."

Vila tried to suppress a grin, "Avon would rather die than be accused of being a hero."

Avalon regarded him with amusement. "That is the mark of a true hero."

Cally sensed that a snarky response was forthcoming from Avon and stepped forward. "It would be best if Avon is not exposed to the stress of such a public role. Remember that his health is still in a delicate state."

She could 'feel' a growl of irritation emanating from Avon even though she couldn't hear it. * I'm sorry, Avon but… *

Avon cried out in agony and tumbled from the bed, his hands gripping his head. Argus grabbed him as Cally whirled around in shock. They laid the groaning man back onto the bed.

Cally's eyes reflected his pain. "I'm sorry, Avon. For a moment, I forgot about the…" She hugged him in apology, holding him tightly as his mind was blinded by pain.

After that graphic display of why Avon should not be stressed, Avalon said, "Cally is right. We should not put strain on Avon."

Cally lifted grateful eyes. "Thank you."

"What's wrong with him?" asked Dr. Kendall.

Jenna's voice was subdued. "It's my fault. I had a limiter placed in his head. It prevents him from receiving psi communications."

Avalon's lips thinned. "You did that to him as well?"

"I'm…" Her head lowered in remorse. "Yes."

"Can it be removed?" asked Avalon.

"I…hope so."

Avalon said harshly, "For your sake, it had better be, Jenna."

Avon's groans were decreasing and his body relaxed. He gasped to Cally, "The sooner the better."

Avalon was staring at Jenna. "We may have resolved Avon's ruling but we are not finished. Jenna, you have a great deal to answer for."

Jenna flinched. "I understand. Before you say anything, I wish to make a full confession. Argus, can you bring Reya in here?"

Argus looked at her questioningly but went to the adjacent room. Reya walked without aid and approached the group. "You asked for me?"

Jenna swallowed hard. "I have something to say to you. When I was planning my revenge on Avon, I needed resources. That is why I came to the Athol Territories. I…wanted to use the resources of the Shade organization in order to help me."

Reya's eyes hardened. "Then I was right. It was you?"

"You knew?" asked a shocked Jenna.

"I suspected. That was why I came back."

A low, powerful growl formed at the back of Argus's throat. "You're responsible for Reya being shot? And for Avon's kidnapping?"

Jenna gulped and her palms were damp. Her voice nearly choked, "Yes. And it gets worse. Reya…I…I'm the one responsible for Rane being poisoned."

Reya's eyes flashed with anger and her body tensed, almost like a panther ready to pounce. "He was your friend!"

Jenna's eyes were moist at the recollection of Rane's pain-wracked body. "I know…I was a fool. I thought I could control the organization but…"

Avon asked, "Did you order Rane to be poisoned?"

Jenna turned stricken eyes to him. "No…but I'm still responsible. If it weren't for my help, their power would never have been able to spread that quickly."

Where Argus's voice lowered in anger, Reya's was controlled but calm, giving the impression of a spring pressed tight, in preparation for being released with explosive power. "You destroyed my people."

Jenna shivered at the deadly tone in her voice. "If you want to kill me, I don't blame you."

"We do not have capital punishment in the Athol Territories." Reya's voice contained an icy chill. "But I am tempted to make an exception."

"Then lock me up and throw away the key."

Reya's jaw tightened. "Nothing I could do to you would bring back all of the lives you destroyed."

Avon turned his head in Reya's direction. "I have a suggestion."

"What is your suggestion, Avon?"

"Jenna will pay her debt to your people by removing the threat of the Shade organization. She will provide assistance in finding a cure for Shade. And she will give up all of the resources she has gained as payment to the survivors."

Reya fixed Jenna with unyielding eyes. "That's not nearly enough payment for what she has done. But I will accept it. I will speak to my brothers. On two conditions."

Jenna said, "Name them."

"You will do this until I am satisfied. And I warn you that I am notoriously hard to please. Second, you will make a personal apology to Rane and tell him everything that you did."

Jenna blanched but she nodded in acceptance. "I will go to him. I owe him a great deal."

There was a hard look on Cally's face. "I know that Avon wants you back onboard the ship."

Avon touched her arm but Cally shook her head slightly. "I also will only agree on two conditions. Before we found out the truth about Gauda Prime, Avon was willing to spend the rest of his life in service to Blake's dream. That will become your charge. But you will be answerable to Avon and to me. And you will help Avon until he is fully recovered."

Jenna looked between Cally and the listening Avon. "I accept these conditions."

Chapter Thirty-Three

Sester reflected on the simple pleasures as he slid gingerly into his flight seat. A clean chair without any sticky blood or slick with his own perspiration being one he was enjoying at this very moment. Auto-cleaners were not a luxury, they were a necessity.

Practiced fingers made the necessary connections.

The healing pad that covered his back wound itched slightly but it was infinitely preferable to the pain of a few days ago. He squirmed a bit, trying to ease the irritation.

The rebel leaders had been here a week now, discussing some major issues. They seemed to have taken a liking to him and had included him in a few meetings, to his own amusement, though not to his surprise. They were all overly concerned about his health and made certain never to tire him out, much to the increasing annoyance of Argus.

The computer reported, "Connection achieved."

"Onscreen, computer." He sat up slightly as the Guildmaster appeared. The Guild black accentuated Venner's coal dark eyes. The white accents, which normally brought out the light laughter in Sester's eyes, stood out severely against the Guildmaster's pale skin. Normally though, such as now, Sester preferred wearing grey or blue with silver accents rather than traditional Guild colours.

"Master," Sester dipped his head briefly in respect. "You were right about the Federation President."

The suggestion of a smile creased the corners of Venner's eyes. "Is she aware?"

"No. She doesn't realize that I understand the why."

Venner nodded his head slowly. "Good. And the other?"

"The President suspects or she wouldn't have held onto the logs for so long. But I don't think she was able to puzzle it out before she gave it up."

"She will have a copy," said Venner.

"It would be out of character for her not to."

"You have done well with the alliance."

The unaccustomed praise filled Sester with warmth that was not reflected on his face. One did not show emotions in front of the Guildmaster without giving him an advantage. "I'm only doing my job, sir."

"The rest is proceeding as per my instructions?"

"Avon will recover. He was blinded but the crew will find a way to restore him."

"He's a survivor. The crew seems to be shaping up as we expected. And the pilot?"

"It wasn't that difficult, sir. People with a conscience, even one deeply compromised, can be manipulated fairly easily."

"You've learned your lessons well."

Sester inclined his head in acknowledgement, "I had a good teacher."

"So you did. Deverell can be an irritant at times, but he is a gifted one."

A flash of a grin twinkled in Sester's eyes. "A gifted irritant or a gifted teacher, sir?"

Like an iron statue, Venner regarded him impassively, and then a light grin lifted the corner of his lips, but disappeared quickly. "I would not say that in his hearing."

Sester said with mock-seriousness, "Of course not." He lifted a hand to his chest, grimacing slightly as he did.

"Is something wrong?" There was a faint note of concern in the Guildmaster's eyes.

"Nothing of note, sir."

"Charles."

Sester sighed. "Just one of the hazards of working with the Federation President."

The way Venner was staring at him, Sester felt as if he were under a particle scanner, with a thousand eyes searching out every detail, all of his hidden secrets. He had to stop himself from squirming in discomfort; he was a man who had far too much to hide.

The Guildmaster said, "I would not appreciate having to train a replacement."

"I will be careful, Master."

"Good." The Guildmaster's hand could be seen moving forward to the panel in front of him. "You understand what you need to do next?"

"There are several possibilities."

"I expect it to be narrowed down by your next report."

"I will be ready."

**********

An unexpected tiredness came over Sester and he leaned against the hatch. He had misjudged his own energy level again but it couldn't be helped. He was looking forward to more rest in the medical unit. The personnel there were very good at taking care of people and it was enjoyable with Avon there, not to mention highly amusing when Argus made his regular visits. The man didn't seem to be able to stay away with both Reya and Avon there.

He pressed the activator switch and nearly had a heart attack when the opening door revealed Kirsten standing in the doorway. "Kirsten!" His eyes searched the docking bay. She was alone. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"This is my ship."

"I can see that." She peered in curiously. "What are you doing here?"

"You're repeating yourself."

"And you're not answering my question."

"I can be in my ship if I want." Sester didn't know why but he felt very uncooperative and just a bit petulant.

"Not when you're about to pass out."

Only then did Sester realize that his hand was on the side of the door and he was leaning heavily against it. He let go and straightened himself. "I'm perfectly fine."

Kirsten's eyes were sceptical. "Then ghastly pale is your normal shade?"

"It…must be the overhead lights."

"Uhuh," she said, not believing him one bit. "You know, I still have those cuffs."

Sester grinned and slipped his arms around her unresisting waist. "I have a very good idea what we can do with them. And this time, there will be no interruptions."

Following his actions, she snaked her hands up, along his arms, her softness and warmth reenergizing him. Pressing gently behind his neck.

Sester bent forward, their lips touched, sweet…he yelped. "Ow!"

Kirsten said firmly, "You are going back to the medical unit, or I will find another use for the cuffs."

**********

Cally refused to allow Jenna to touch Avon so any help with his recovery was out of the question. Avon had found a suitable task for her to perform, though Jenna would have preferred torture.

She rubbed bleary eyes as Avon had her repeat the same sentence for the third time. Her fingers traced along the screen, trying to get the pronunciation of the tongue-twisting foreign words to his satisfaction. She grumbled under her breath, "I'm a pilot, not a…"

Avon cocked his head. "Yes?"

Jenna coughed. This was only the third day of her life sentence, she had better get used to it. "Sorry, I meant…" Her eyes squinted. "SMDI and UVAC/TSA are conjective system programs (or threads) running parallel according to differential constraints and requires fine-grained synchronization. The following equation …"

"You must be reading it incorrectly. Again." Avon was in his impassive 'professor' chiding voice. "It isn't possible for SMDI and UVAC/TSA to run parallel. Unless…"

She snapped, "I am bloody reading it correctly. You need your…" Jenna immediately shut up as she realized what she had been about to say.

There was only a slight change in inflection from his normal flat tone but Avon's voice dripped sarcasm. "I need my eyes checked?"

Jenna said, "Look, Avon. If you want to torture me, aren't there more useful things you can have me do? I'm not very good at these technical terms."

"You surprise me," said Avon dryly. "Unfortunately, I need this information to develop a new algorithm."

"Why?" She asked, trying to engage him in conversation, anything to stave off reading that damned sentence a fourth time and being told that she had made a mistake.

"The current antidote to the Shade poison is a temporary solution."

"Oh." Jenna hated that it only took a few words to fill her with guilt. "I'll just read that again…" She bent her head towards the screen in resignation and started reading…and nearly kicked herself. Her eyes must have been playing tricks on her before, or they were tiring. "SDMI and UUVACT/TSA are conjective system programs (or threads) running parallel according to differential constraints and requires fine-grained synchronization. The following equation …" She glanced at Avon and when he didn't say anything, continued reading. After a few more sentences, read correctly, at least she assumed so since he didn't say anything, Avon said, "I need water."

As she went to get the requested item, Jenna muttered under her breath, "No one asks me if I want some water and I've been reading three hours straight."

Avon said, "You only had to ask."

Sester and Kirsten came in as Jenna poured two cups of water.

"Will you be here when I wake up?" the psychostrategist asked as he climbed carefully onto the bed and slid into the sheets faced down.

Kirsten said, "Only if you're good."

"I'm bound to be since I'll be sleeping."

"That's a matter of opinion. How do I know what you'll be up to in your dreams?"

Sester's faced started turning red and he quickly plopped his head down on his pillow. He mumbled, "You have so little faith in me. I don't just kiss anyone, you know."

Jenna, holding a cup in either hand, was passing by on her way back to Avon. She said sarcastically, "I wouldn't believe him if I were you."

Kirsten faced her. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Sester groaned into the pillow.

This caused Kirsten's eyes to narrow. "Sester, what is she talking about?"

Jenna smirked and walked away. "Here's the water." She took Avon's lifted hand and put the glass into it.

Avon asked, "What was that all about?" He drank half of it and held out the glass for her to take. His head was angled to catch more of the conversation between Sester and Kirsten.

Jenna put his on the table and drank her own. "Why do you want to know?"

Avon turned his head and faced her. It was amazing how he managed to create an impression of staring even with the shades on.

"Alright, alright," said Jenna. "No need to do…whatever it is you're doing at me. He's a rascal. Sester. Chuck. Or whatever it is you call him."

"Rascal would not be my term for him."

"I imagine there are many names around here for him," said Jenna as she glanced over at Sester, who was trying to explain, unsuccessfully, what Jenna had meant, without getting himself into trouble.

"That's a safe assumption," said Avon.

"How did we end up with him onboard?" asked Jenna.

"As Vila would say, it's a very long story."

"Well, I have time."

"I don't. Continue with the text."

Jenna groaned.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Consciousness slowly returned as a gradual reassertion of self on an unfolding reality. Avon eyes opened. Normally, as had happened since he lost his sight, his sluggish mind, slow to the truth of a current situation that was not yet habit, would command his eyes to open. He would blink and eyes would widen momentarily as he tried harder to penetrate the veil of darkness. Then as memory caught up to his racing thoughts, Avon's rational mind would impose order on the situation. Being without sight was a fact. It didn't matter if he wanted to accept it or not, it made no difference. Unlike those who would rail against the injustice of their condition, fighting it or being dragged down into the depths by it; Avon knew he didn't live in a world where justice applied, except in the minds of those who refused to accept the truth.

This was what he expected to find. Avon took in a sharp, shocked breath. There was colour. Brilliant lights of sparkling joy inside his mind.

* Avon! * Cally's mental voice was a gentle healing breeze, swirly around him, lifting him up in her happiness, erasing the aching loneliness and sending ripples of multi-coloured waves of warmth through him. Her presence buffeted his bruised mind with gentle undercurrents of peace and affection.

The unexpectedness of it threatened to overcome his iron control. This was a barely dared hope becoming fact. He tried to maintain an impassive tone.

* The surgery succeeded? *

* Avon! * Cally's amused, affectionate laughter burst like gentle bubbles inside him. * Is that all you can say? *

Despite all they had been through together and his occasional stuttering attempts at verbal expressions of sentiment, Avon was still more comfortable with actions.

He wanted to give her more. There was an experiment he had intended to try before Jenna had taken away his access to Cally. Avon focussed his mind, bringing all of his concentration to bear. It was a struggle, more than he expected, but he directed his * eyes * to look deeply into * hers *.

There was a responding gasp from Cally. * Avon! *

Avon's 'eyes' blinked.

Cally said with awe, * Avon! Your eyes! They're beautiful! Brown, golden…and liquid! Oh! * Her pleasure was a charge of energy that connected them both.

Avon's mental voice asked with puzzlement, * Golden? You must be mistaken. *

* I can see them, Avon. Pools of deep brown. With tiny specks of gold that reflect the light. They're gorgeous. *

Cally sensed a flash of embarrassment from him. * I will correct them. *

* No. Leave them. This is who you are. This is your subconscious impression of yourself. *

* Somewhat theatrical * he said flatly.

* I think it's wonderful! * Her presence swirled around him with pleasure. Lightly 'brushing' against him in places that produced increasing, sensual warmth.

His mind reached out tentatively and was rewarded with an exultant hissed breath. * Yes! * Hands began touching, stroking, matching the action of their minds. Moving together as one entity, anticipating each other's needs and desire and finding comfort and joy in their joining.

Cally said, * I didn't know you could create illusions with your mind. Auronar are capable of it but I've never tried it myself. *

* I decided to experiment. *

* Well, it was a complete success. *

* I'm glad. It takes all of my concentration to do this. I cannot create more than a simple illusion. *

Avon felt her arms hugging him. * You will become stronger in time, Avon. *

* You have never tried this before? * he asked curiously.

* I've never had the need. * Cally concentrated, thinking of the image in her mind, giving it form, and releasing it into his mind. * Until now. *

Avon's breath caught and his sightless physical eyes opened as his mind 'saw' her. A soft involuntary moan of pleasure escaped his lips. It was Cally as he remembered her. Her body lithe and curved in places that he couldn't wait to explore again. * You're…without clothing. *

The Cally image grinned as Avon tilted his head, trying to listen with his ears. * Are we alone? *

* I had you moved to Reya's recovery room. She no longer needed it. *

* Ah. *

He could feel her fingers at the front of his shirt. * Cally. Physically, I'm still… *

* I know, Avon. You're talking far too much. * Buttons were quickly undone.

A ripple of amusement emanated from him as he felt her sliding the shirt down his shoulders. The warmth of her breath and her teasing lips followed the landscape of his chest. Along his collarbone, between the ridges, lightly kissing the scars and welts that marred his body, as if she were trying to take away the pain of the memories. He drew in a shuddered breath at the sensations.

Cally projected * Would you like to expand the scope of your experiments? *

There was a pause as he seemed to be considering this and then he smiled.

**********

Sester was having his own amorous moment as he woke up and found Kirsten's ready lips on his. Twisting around, and trying not to grimace in pain, he reached around her and was stopped cold. Something… His eyes flew open and he saw with consternation that his right wrist which was now attached to the bed with a restraint.

"Now just a minute…" He spied Jenna quickly turning away and covering her mouth, obviously trying to hide a laugh. Sester said to Kirsten, "If we're planning a continuation of our constantly interrupted endeavours, could we find someplace...less public?" When she didn't say anything and just stared at him, he said, "Kirsten, this is embarrassing."

"Well, so is finding out that you kissed another woman, just when you told me that you don't kiss just anyone." Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was staring down at him with a complete lack of amusement. "What am I supposed to think?"

From the other end of the room, Jenna added helpfully, "Don't look at me. I had nothing to do with this. Well, not the chain part of it."

Sester glared at her. "Kirsten…can't we talk about this?" He tugged on the chain and its rattling sounds seemed to mock his efforts.

"You can talk. You're very good at that," said Kirsten with a definite huff to her tone.

"I tried to explain before. It meant nothing with Jenna."

Jenna's helpful voice said, "That's not what you told me."

Kirsten glared at her and then her eyes were daggers when she looked at Sester again.

The psychostrategist winced as they hit. He said to Jenna, "You're no help at all."

"You're welcome." She came closer and he could see her icy eyes. Jenna said, "I don't like being used."

"Look, I'm sorry but we were both using each other. I was on a mission. I had to save Avon."

Jenna said, "You could have told me the truth."

Sester sighed. Civilians would never understand what needed to be done. "It would never have worked."

"You're saying that flirting with me was part of the mission?"

Kirsten said acidly, "This is fascinating. I can't wait to hear your explanation for this."

Sester grimaced, glad that her eyes weren't lasers that could burn holes through him. He rarely experienced the pleasure or danger of having two women at the same time. It was something he had managed to avoid until now.

Admittedly, despite the awkward situation, he found this rather fun. And if he was being truthful to himself, he may have confessed to deliberately giving Kirsten unsatisfying answers, just so that he could provoke this state of affairs. Though if Reya came in at this moment, he would probably be dead. He fervently hoped that she was far too busy with Argus.

"Now ladies," he said reasonably.

Jenna said dryly, "Does he do this often?"

Kirsten asked, "Do what?"

"Try to squirm out of things."

Kirsten's lips pursed. "Usually he's trying to squirm into things."

Suspicion lurked as Sester glanced furtively at her, quickly taking in her manner, the look in her eyes, the way she was leaning… He said, "Now, wait a minute…"

"I've seen his type before," said Jenna knowledgeably.

"You have?" asked Kirsten, her eyes suddenly wide with interest. "I thought…"

Sester was finding this very amusing but he dared not show it.

"He was one of a kind?" Jenna laughed even as her eyes glanced at the closed recovery room. She had no question what was going on behind those doors. Cally and Avon seemed intent on making her life miserable and have fun while doing it. A frown touched her lips as she said fiercely, "They all like to think that."

Sester said grouchily, "I don't think I like being talked about like I'm not here."

Jenna said, "You could always leave."

Yanking on the chain, Sester said, "That's a little hard at the moment."

"Then don't listen."

He glared at her.

Jenna proceeded to impart her wisdom about rogues to a raptly listening Kirsten, while Sester made intermittent choking sounds.

When she was done, Jenna decided to take a quick trip to the dining hall before Avon needed her again. She rushed out.

Kirsten sat down at the edge of the bed. "She doesn't understand you at all."

Her partner chuckled. "You're very good and very bad. You nearly had me fooled. But only for a few seconds."

"What gave me away?"

"That…is a trade secret." He curled his arm around her waist and pressed their bodies together. Kirsten's soft curves seemed to fit snugly against him.

She twisted around to face him. "She doesn't know that she's never met anyone like you before. I knew it the first time I saw you."

Sester gently nuzzled the sensitive flesh at the side of her neck and heard a soft 'ah' escaping from her lips. He smiled. "Now, can we talk about removing this?" The chain rattled in emphasis.

Kirsten tilted his chin up and brushed her lips across his in a brief kiss. He leaned into her embrace but kissed empty air as she abruptly got up and took a step back. "And you've never met anyone like me before either."

"I take it the chain stays on?" asked Sester.

**********

Jenna arrived in the dining hall at the height of the lunch hour. And of course, it was full of well-built and very hungry soldiers. She elbowed her way in, trying not to be squashed. They were all very polite but in a hurry.

Every seat was taken and she doubted that anyone would offer the pariah of the ship a seat. Her stomach growled at the delay but apart from yelling "fire!" at the top of her lungs, or "battle stations!", nothing was going to move the line any faster.

The smells of food were cruelly taunting her with their delicious odours. Everything seemed to be mocking her today. From Avon and Cally - doing something she would rather not think about - behind closed doors, to her own dubious position as the resident slave of the ship. It made her angry and irritable. Not that she didn't think that she deserved it, but it rankled her pride that she used to be an important member of this crew and now she was barely tolerated as a gofer for Avon.

Making Sester's life miserable had been the only bright part of her day but it wasn't nearly enough to release her frustrations.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted Vila and Corinne at a table with several soldiers. They were all laughing and joking and Vila was pointedly not looking in her direction.

She envied them all and wondered if she would ever have friends on the ship again.

Finally, at the front of the line, she quickly chose a simple sandwich and coffee, and taking a brief glance to confirm her suspicions that all the tables were still full, she headed for the door. If she got out of this room without dropping her tray, it would be a miracle.

"There's a seat over here, ma'am," one of the soldiers signalled her over as he got up. It just had to be at Vila and Corinne's table.

She knew this would be a bad idea, but her feet seemed to have a different idea as they walked her over. The soldier seemed to be friendly though she wished that he wouldn't call her "ma'am" quite so easily. She had been trying out a 'younger' look with the makeup but it didn't appear to be working. Either that or these soldiers were far too young.

When she came within spitting distance, Vila said brusquely, "Table's full."

"No, it's not, sir." The soldier who had stood up, a big strapping young man with lieutenant's markings on his shoulders said, "I'm finished."

Jenna stayed standing and said sarcastically, "You do know who I am, don't you? You wouldn't want to make a mistake."

The young man said, "I know who you are, ma'am. You're Jenna. I was told all about you."

"Then you're either brave or a fool to offer me a seat, soldier."

Vila said, "Leave him alone. The lieutenant's being nice. You don't have to insult him."

Lt. Dain's hazel eyes were stern as he placed a strong hand on Vila's shoulder. "It's alright, sir. I can handle this."

Jenna scoffed at this term being applied to Vila. "Who made you an officer? They must be desperate."

Corinne's eyes flashed as she popped out of her seat. "Leave Vila alone! He's worth ten of you!"

Vila placed a restraining hand on her arm, "Ignore her, Corinne. Jenna wouldn't recognize quality if it fell on her." He began gathering up his and Corinne's food and assorted utensils. "We're finished too." They both turned their backs on her and left the table without another word.

Lt. Dain said, "I would try to be nicer, if I were you ma'am. I don't like you. What you did to Avon, the Commander and the people of my world is something I cannot forget. But we're on the same ship. We should try to be civil if we have to work together." He walked out and suddenly everyone at the table had a desire to follow him. Jenna sat down heavily at the table. She had a seat now, and she wished she hadn't.

**********

The rebel leaders were still gathered on the Justice, working out tedious details about the alliance and how they were going to unite all the different factions.

Argus was becoming increasingly frustrated. This was much harder than banging a few heads together to knock some sense into narrow-thinking people.

After everything they had seen and discovered, how could these leaders, still be worrying about political agendas? Did they have no sense of urgency or priority?

He imagined that the entire galaxy could crumble around their ears and they would still be gathered around tables, arguing left or right-leaning agendas and Inner vs. Outer World prejudices. Not to mention the old favourite, grade differences and the equalization of power.

He'd had enough, and to everyone's surprise, including his own, Argus stood up suddenly and said, "I have something to say."

All eyes turned towards him. Argus straightened his already straight back and took a deep breath before continuing his herculean task. "There is something I haven't told you yet."

All ears were attentive.

"I have made a temporary alliance with the Federation President."

Collective mouths dropped open, other than for Avon and Sester, of course.

There were assorted exclamations of:

"Are you crazy?"

"Why, for Terra's sake?

"What are you up to?"

And more…"Are you crazy?"

Avon leaned towards Sester and whispered, "Are weapons out?"

Sester whispered back, "No."

"We might need them," said Avon dryly.

Sester laughed softly. "We won't."

"Don't tell me, your psychostrategist skills tell you this?" asked Avon with sharp cynicism.

"Annoying, isn't it? But you don't have to worry. He may not know what he's doing, but he will be able to do it."

Avon turned his head and directed a sightless glare at him. "Would you care to explain that?"

Sester said, "Just watch the show, Avon. You might still want to shoot him later."

Avon settled back in his seat. "I doubt he's the one I would want to shoot."

Sester chuckled. "Haven't you noticed the increase in his frustration level the last few sessions?"

"He hates pointless meetings. In that, he shows a modicum of intelligence."

"You only see half the equation. It's the type of frustration that's interesting. It's been building towards this moment and he doesn't realize it. But he has to act."

Argus took another deep breath before speaking again. "I am not crazy, and in case you were wondering if you need to hold another trial, I have not betrayed anyone."

He quickly outlined the facts behind the alien incursion into their galaxy and his agreement with Servalan to pool resources to fight them. "I've been hoping to involve more of you in this but…we're not exactly a united group." His tone ended in cynicism, "Not even in this room."

Avalon said, "You have proof of this alien activity?"

"My crew has been fighting several incursions this past year, in the Athol Territories and the Chandar Alliance. You can check with them. Servalan's people have been providing the intelligence and we've been following up the leads on alien activity."

Dr. Kendall said, "If the aliens are still trying to take over this galaxy and using underground means, then we're all in serious danger."

Case said, "You can say that again."

Paraic said forcefully, "We can't let them have a foothold in this galaxy. We have to find them all and take them out."

Everyone agreed that this had to be done.

Avalon had been thinking as the others talked. "I don't like Servalan calling the shots."

Argus said, "I don't either but she's the only one with the widest intelligence resources. We've been very careful which leads we follow up. I made it quite clear that we do not follow her orders. This is to be an equal endeavour."

"But can she be trusted?"

Avon interjected, "Only a fool would trust Servalan. But you don't need trust in order to work together for common survival. Even Servalan understands that power is pointless without people to rule over."

Argus said, "And not just Servalan. We all need to learn to work together to defeat the aliens. It's no longer about politics or factional differences. Inner or Outer Worlds. In the eyes of the Andromedans, we're all the same. And they will destroy us all regardless of who we are."

Satisfied that he had said what he needed to say, he sat down.

And bounded back up again. He looked around hesitantly, as if he were as startled by his actions as the people staring at him. Argus wasn't quite sure why he had stood up again. But he didn't need to be. The man of action, when deprived of his normal tools, found other ones to use. Avon would often say that an intelligent man adapts. Argus's frustration with his fellow leaders, and the demands of the situation, forced him to adapt.

The words came out in a tumble of urgency. The depth of his feelings about this matter reached beyond narrow minds, making them sit up and listen. There was something mesmerizing about a man who believed what he was saying.

In a low, booming voice that seemed to make the very walls tremble, he said, "I thought the Gauda Prime footage would have woken us up. The Federation wanted to keep us apart. They prevented Blake from using his abilities to unite us. They knew that separated, we're little more than minor nuisances. We make a lot of noise but have no bite."

Avon leaned towards Sester and whispered, "What is he doing?"

Sester grinned. "He's being frustrated."

"He's still speaking."

"Amazing, isn't it?"

It was becoming uncomfortably warm and Argus was tempted to remove his jacket, but he was afraid that if the momentum was broken, he might not be able to continue.

"We have an opportunity now. To learn to work together for a common good. Maybe in fighting the aliens, we can learn to stop fighting each other. We can finally become the coordinated force that the Federation fears. And…"

Argus blinked, and looked around him. It was almost as if it finally dawned on him what he was doing. He was poised on the knife-edge of panic and the passion that had gripped him and made him speak.

This was the longest speech of his entire life, but he had more to say. It didn't occur to him that he didn't need to say it all at once. That there would be other, perhaps better times.

Argus's fists clenched and he pushed down his own fears. There was time to think about himself later. This was too important.

"Avalon was right in trying to pursue justice rather than revenge. We're supposed to be fighting against the Federation. But the Federation is not just a military force or a power structure we need to destroy. We are fighting a system that is corrupt and ruthless. That would condone torture and violence to meet its goals. That would sacrifice human life in favour of political agendas. Its leaders lie as easily as breathing."

He took another deep breath.

Sester whispered to Avon, "He's really going to do it."

Out of habit, Avon turned his head towards Sester. "You knew this would happen?"

"It was bound to eventually. Don't tell me you're surprised."

Avon turned away without responding.

Sester grinned to himself. "Are you going to stop him?"

Avon remained silent.

Sester studied him. The way he bent forward slightly to catch every word, the faint, familiar sarcasm that shaped his lips and the intensity with which he was concentrating. It was a picture of a man whose mind told him not to believe but who was unconsciously grasping onto someone who did.

Argus's next words were explosive, hitting everyone in the room like a storm. "And we are becoming just like the Federation. We're supposed to be freeing people from tyranny. But the way we've been acting, we're only going to replace one bad system with another. Theirs for ours. We cannot fight the Federation and be like them. I will not! And if it means that I have to leave the alliance, then I will."

Argus sat down.

There was silence in the room. Argus looked around him and saw everyone was staring at him with mouths open in astonishment. Sudden shyness came over him and his face reddened.

But he was unapologetic. "That's how I feel."

A hint of a smile crinkled Avalon's eyes. "You've made that very clear."

Case chuckled, "You keep that up, old boy, and they'll start nominating you next."

Argus asked, "For what?"

Case said, "For legend, of course."

Argus nearly choked. "Tell me you're joking."

Avalon's eyes were hooded in thought. "Can you do that with a larger group?"

"Do what?"

"What you just did now. The speech."

There was a mortified look on Argus's face as he repeated, "The speech?"

Case said in jest, "You know, Avalon. He is a little slow on the uptake but I think we can work on that."

Argus said, "I know you're joking now."

Avalon said, "We're quite serious. People respect you, Argus."

"You mean, they're afraid of me."

"Yes…that too. But you don't try to push it on people. This is why you haven't played a larger role in the rebellion. Until now."

"I don't want to."

Case's eyes twinkled, "You might not have a choice."

Argus gulped and looked for somewhere to hide.

Sester leaned over to Avon. "If you want, I could try to get a gun. Argus looks like he wants someone to shoot him."

**********

After nominating Argus as the rebellion's official representative to the Federation during the alien crisis - to his mortification - Avalon and the other rebel leaders also appointed Argus and his able crew to be the vanguard of a new rebel alliance. With Avon and Chuck as his advisors, and his crew of specialists, it was felt that they would be the best suited to coordinate the uniting of various resistance groups.

With all of the rebel leaders headed back to their various groups, the command crew, plus a few guests, gathered on the flight deck to discuss their new status.

There was still a stunned look on Argus's face as he slumped back into his flight seat. A sickening feeling was churning in his stomach. He groaned, "I should have kept my mouth shut."

Avon, with Cally by his side, was at his familiar tactical station. He said dryly, "We noticed."

Argus turned to Sester, who was sitting on the couch. "And I want to know how you got yourself included in all this."

"Is it my fault that some people appreciate my considerable talents?"

"They obviously don't know you very well."

Sester grinned.

Cally, who had her communications station moved next to Avon's, said, "I think this is a good thing. We are finally going to become a united force against the Federation."

Vila, whose neutron blaster station had been moved up to where Cally's had been, said, "We're not united yet. Remember, we're supposed to be doing the uniting. Personally, I think it's like trying to dance naked in a Jellean snake pit."

Corinne, who was sitting opposite Sester, said, "Why would anyone want to do that?"

"No one in his right mind would," he answered with a slight shake of his head.

Avon's head tilted towards him. "It's never stopped us before."

Straightening himself up and pulling his shoulders back, Argus said, "Avon, I know you tried to unite the rebel alliance before."

"You made this situation."

Argus groaned. "I don't know what possessed me."

"Several thoughts come to mind."

Argus said plaintively, "Do any of those include taking this off my hands?"

"No," said Avon without mercy.

Argus grimaced and his eyes sought out the third person who was sitting on the couch. There was no smile on Reya's lips but her eyes reflected her confidence in him. She nodded imperceptibly.

Argus breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. "Alright. But I can't do this alone."

"That much is evident," said Avon.

"I never wanted to be in this role. I'm a leader but not this kind. I'm better suited to military operations. But I think that together we make a formidable team. We all possess special talents."

As he addressed each one, Argus turned to look at them. "Avon, with his exceptional mind and his technical genius. Sester…" He suppressed a growl. "…and his psychostrategist skills. Cally, with your Auron senses, medical skills and rebel experience. Vila's ability to break into any lock and facility. And expertise with the neutron blasters. Reya's strength as a security specialist and her sharp-shooting skills. Lt. Dain and his teams providing front line support and back up."

He paused for a moment as he turned to the most controversial person on the ship. "Jenna's skill as a pilot. Together, we can do this."

Avon asked, "And our original partnership?"

Argus turned to face him, "That will never change, Avon. You have my word."

"Then I agree."

Everyone indicated their agreement as well.

Argus said, "I don't know if I should thank you…"

Sester asked with a grin, "Or run screaming?"

Argus glared at him briefly. "But we are now committed to this. We will fight the alien incursion first and we will work together to build a united alliance to defeat the Federation, once and for all."

**********

Servalan was not happy as she flicked the plasti-sheet in her hands, making it sound like a whip slicing through the air.

After her 'talk' with Sester, she had called in Othello, to do some discreet investigations of Central Security. Othello's findings had been disturbing. Sester had been right to call her attention to the strange goings on in that service.

Some heads were going to have to roll. She had already decided that. But how? Bringing them all in and having them executed would be flashy but not very effective. It would only alert her enemies that she was onto them. Servalan's manicured hand went to her throat. It was a very uncomfortable sensation to be in constant fear of being deposed.

These days, losing one's power often meant losing one's life and the lives of anyone who supported you. Not that she had any strong attachment to anyone these days. Other than for Avon, of course. Most people followed her because of common interests, they were afraid of her, there was enough incentive to buy their support or, as in the case of some of her personal security force, their loyalties were beyond question because they were programmed to obey.

Two such black-hooded minions stood guard at the door inside her office. She pointed to the one on the right. "You. Come here."

The black-hooded figure approached obediently. "Yes, Madame President."

"Remove your hood."

The figure brought his hand up and slipped the hood back, revealing his face.

"What is your name?"

Like an automaton, the figure said, "My designation is T dash 3."

"You must have had a name," said Servalan.

The unhooded figure had no reaction. "My name is T dash 3."

"You have no recollection of your previous identity?"

The figure hesitated, but only for a split second. "I have no identity except that which I have been given, Madame President."

Servalan searched his face, lingering on the eye that had once been damaged. He looked much better this way. Whole. It was too bad about his mind. "It's ironic, isn't it? You only trusted mutoids and now you are one." There was no response from the unhooded guard, but she hadn't expected any. The man he once was, no longer existed. "Go back to your post."

T-3 replaced his hood.

Servalan smiled. Her plans were progressing smoothly. Sester should be able to use the Gauda Prime recordings. The joke of a resistance movement would finally become united and be a formidable force, ready for someone with vision and the ability to present the right illusions.

She had her pawns in place. And - she smiled as the hooded figure stood sentry at the door again - incentive for one particular pawn.

Her final reward would be to retrieve Avon from the rest she was allowing him now. No one would be able to hurt him again, unless she desired it.

It was all very good.

----- The End -----

Images of the main characters contributed by the wonderful Vilakins of LiveJournal:

To see the pics, replace the (dot) with a real one.

Images of the main characters contributed by the wonderful Vilakins of LiveJournal:

Avon
http://pics(dot)livejournal(dot)com/kalinda001/pic/000bf2s1/g244"

Cally
http://pics(dot)livejournal(dot)com/kalinda001/pic/000cwydq/g244

Vila
http://pics(dot)livejournal(dot)com/kalinda001/pic/000bgrc1/g244

Jenna
http://pics(dot)livejournal(dot)com/kalinda001/pic/000kc13c/g244

Argus
http://pics(dot)livejournal(dot)com/kalinda001/pic/000a0g0d/g244

Reya
http://pics(dot)livejournal(dot)com/kalinda001/pic/000a1aks/g244

Sester
http://pics(dot)livejournal(dot)com/kalinda001/pic/000a23px/g244

Corinne
http://pics(dot)livejournal(dot)com/kalinda001/pic/000f6ebh/g244

Kirsten
http://pics(dot)livejournal(dot)com/kalinda001/pic/000ka3y5/g244

Servalan
http://pics(dot)livejournal(dot)com/kalinda001/pic/000kb6fb/g244

Spot
http://pics(dot)livejournal(dot)com/kalinda001/pic/000fd4r4/g244