CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

PLANET ORION

Rufus sat the ship down on the green grass at the outer parameters of a compound. Surrounding the compound was a white stone wall and, from what the monitor read out said, there was an invisible dome all around it.

Flynn walked Lucy out, but caught her arm, "Call me immediately if anything goes wrong."

"I will. I promise. I'll try to hurry."

"I just want you to be careful and for both of you to come back to me." They hugged tight and he kissed her lips and her forehead.

She stepped out of his arms and walked off the ship.


After Flynn took off in the ship, Lucy quickly made her way over to the wide steps of the compound walls. Mounting them, she quickly walked over to a monitor, and announced herself, "I'm Captain Lucy Preston and I'm here to see Josephine." She stood there and waited, remembering when the Alliance had been damaged in a fight with pirates and one of her crew members, who was related to Josephine, told her of the resources she had. So, she'd gone to her and the peculiar woman had helped her out.

Just as she began to wonder if anyone had heard her, the metal doors suddenly slid open as a voice from the monitor said, "Go down the right tunnel, all the way to the stairs and wait." Lucy stepped into a dim passageway. She remembered how it all looked from her last visit. Wasting no time, she went forward, following the instructions. Arriving at the stairs, she waited.

A young, black, teen girl appeared at the top of the stairs, "Come this way, please."

Lucy climbed the stone steps and followed the girl down the corridor, past a number of doors. At the end was a large wooden door that the young girl opened. Lucy followed her into a lovely wooded room with large windows, embroidered tapestries and comfortable, cushioned furniture. There were about twenty people in the large room — some talking to each other, some reading, and some cooking.

"You're pregnant!"

Lucy turned around and saw the beautiful black woman she remembered, "Hello, Josephine!" The woman threw her arms around Lucy and hugged her.

"You're about eight months?"

"Good guess!"

"We've had plenty of babies here, so you end up with a good eye," she smiled at her. "I can guess why you're here."

Lucy nodded her head, "We can pay."

"What do you need?"

"Fuel, food and basic supplies."

Josephine looked Lucy up and down and smiled, "You're in love with this man."

"Um, what?"

She stepped forward and laid her hand on her belly, "It's a boy, right?"

"Another good guess."

"He must be something for you to find him worthy, because you seemed like a hard sell."

"I did?" Lucy thought about Flynn and smiled, "He is worthy."

Josephine nodded, "Oh, the love is just emanating off of you." Lucy blushed. "I heard about your ship."

Lucy wasn't expecting her to bring that up, "I… We were attacked by-."

"Rittenhouse, I know, I know," she smiled. "I'm glad you made it. I know it must have been tough. You're a good captain."

"A good captain that lost some crew and a ship."

"That comes with the job, but you're still a good captain." She walked over to a big, dark, shiny wooden desk by a large window that overlooked a beautiful garden that had a number of people walking around and sitting in it. Sitting in an oversized leather office chair, she took out a piece of paper, and handed it to Lucy. "Here are the directions to the supplies. They're all in one place."

Lucy took the piece of paper, "Thank you. How much?"

"Ten thousand credits." Lucy hesitated, and Josephine raised her eyebrows, "Too much?"

"No." Lucy had expected four times that amount.

Reading her mind, Josephine said softly, "Think of it as a gift and," she smiled, "I'll throw in some baby clothes and supplies."

"Thank you, Josephine! Do you have clothes for little girls two to three years old? I'll pay."

"Oh, you have a little girl too?! Congratulations, you've been busy!" She snapped her fingers and a young man in the back of the room came over to her side. She wrote on another piece of paper and handed it to the young man, who then left through the door Lucy had come through.

"Also, I'll tell you the best way to get back to earth from here. This route will have the least amount of Rittenhouse activity."

"Thank you, Josephine," Lucy's eyes watered, "I really appreciate this."

"I'd tell you not to get all emotional on me, but you're a pregnant mama."

Lucy laughed, "I've been nothing but tears this whole pregnancy."

"Understandable." they hugged.

"I'll comm my team," Lucy said with tears of relief.

Outside, a red-haired woman paid a young boy to let them into the compound.


"Okay, at this location, get the fuel, food, and supplies!" Lucy said gleefully. She could hear the others cheering in the background.

"Great! We're on our way! Where are you?" Flynn's excited voice came through her comm.

"I'm still with Josephine and everything's all right! She's going to tell me the best way to get home from here. By the time you load up, I'll have the information and we'll be on our way home!"

"We'll be quick and then I'll be there to get you!"

"I'll be at the pickup point!"


"Fuels in!" Karl shouted.

"All the supplies are loaded up!" Jessica yelled.

"Lucy came through for us!" Rufus exclaimed.

Flynn let out a breath. "Good, now let's go get her and get out of here."


Thrilled with the success of getting all they needed and more, Lucy hurried through the passageway of the stone fortress on the way back to the Embarcadero pick up point. Josephine had given her the coordinates for the safest route to earth. The thought of being home soon — home with Flynn, Rosie and their son — made her heart sing and made her eager to already be there.

As she went down the passageway, she noticed a red-haired woman standing at the end of it. Immediately, something about her didn't sit right with Lucy. Walking on, she nonchalantly slowed and made a quick right, then Lucy pulled out her gun and started moving faster. Not hearing any footsteps behind her, she made it to the end of the dim passageway and turned the corner, right into the woman. Lucy fired first but the redhead ducked out of the way. Lucy went down another passage and immediately saw a large man baring his large, silver teeth at the end of it, blocking her way. She fired at him as she turned and moved as quickly as possible in the opposite direction.

"Lucy, we have the fuel and supplies!"

Lucy raised her comm to her mouth as she hurried, trying to get away, "Flynn, I've got company."

"What? What's going on?!" Everyone's ears perked up when they heard Lucy's voice coming through Flynn's comm followed by gunfire. Flynn swore. "Lucy, talk to me!"

"There's this huge guy with large silver teeth and a red-haired woman after me. I'm still in the passageway."

Flynn knew exactly who they were. "I'm coming!" he said to Lucy. "It's Rittenhouse," he informed the crew.

Half of them swore.

Lucy saw the original passageway she had been in and headed that way. She moved as fast as she could, almost reaching the metal doors to get out, but not before she was shot in the back with an immobilizing gun. Feeling the sting, she crumpled to the ground.

The redhead came and stood right over her, "Well, look at what we have here. Princess Rittenhouse." Lucy's eyes stared up at her as the evil woman went on, "I know someone who would be very interested in seeing you."


"Lucy?! Lucy, where are you?!" Flynn shouted into his comm. He, along with Rufus and Wyatt, searched where Lucy had entered the compound while Bam Bam, Jiya and Karl searched around the pick up point. Just then they all looked up and saw a Ritten Rover shoot off into space.

"Lucy's on that rover! Back to the ship!" Flynn shouted.

"Wait!" Rufus ran over to him, "How do you know?"

"The people after her were Rittenhouse's personal henchmen! They were the ones that tried to capture me on Martol." He pointed to the sky furiously, "She's on there, Rufus, and we need to leave, NOW!"

"Okay...okay" Rufus said to him, "Everyone on the ship now! We're in the sky, Now!" Rufus reiterated.

All of them were in the cockpit except Jessica, who had Rosie. Flynn was in the pilot seat and he typed commands into the dashboard console. "Rittenhouse knows I'll come for her because that's what he wants. So, I'm just going to cut to the chase and contact him."

"You're just going to call him up?" Wyatt asked.

"Yes. I've been tracking him and he's on the outskirts of the Pleiades system." Flynn put the ship into lightspeed. "I'm going to meet him there."


The grogginess Lucy felt in her head was heavy as she slowly opened her eyes. Frowning, she saw she was in a medical room. She turned her head and there was Rittenhouse, standing at the end of the bed. Instantly alert, she went to lift her arms but they, along with her legs, were held fast by bindings. There was an IV needle in her arm.

She glared at him, "What do you want?"

"Lucy! I'm so happy you could join us today!"

"Why do you have me here?!"

"One, to give you a last chance of joining me. You have Rittenhouse blood in you, through and through. I know that you and I, together, can rule every quadrant and take our seats as royal leaders of the United Galaxies."

"I will never be Rittenhouse! Get it through your head!"

He raised his eyebrows, "Then, two, you're bait. He'll come for you. I know he will. I have to ask, why didn't you ever bring him to the house? Would've liked to have met him," he said wistfully. "You really should have gotten my permission first, before you married that man. Although I must say it's pretty impressive that you found him and got him back. Really impressive. Guess you really love him," he smiled pityingly. "...Anyway, once he arrives I'm not going to put him on ice again. I'm gonna just kill him." Lucy's heart froze.

"It looks like I now have two things Flynn wants, but," he said as he walked around the bed and leaned in close, "since I'm starting to get the feeling you don't want to join me, I'll be taking my grandchild."

Lucy stopped breathing and went pale. "What?"

A medic appeared at the door, went right over to her IV monitor and started to type in a command.

Glancing back and forth between Rittenhouse and the woman, Lucy started to panic. "What's she?...What are you doing?!" She pulled against her restraints.

"I'm taking my grandchild...now."

"What?! No! He's not due yet! It's too early!"

"Oh, a grandson-!"

"You're crazy-!"

"A grandson would be optimal."

"Wait, wait," she said half hysterical, half reasoning, "please don't do this. Don't do this, I'll join you. I'll come with you, okay? I'll do whatever! Ju-just don't hurt our baby. It's too soon."

Unmoved, Ben gave a flick of his head.

"No, no, no! Please don't do this! No, listen to me! PLEASE!" She pulled against her binds.

And the woman sent the command for the inducing medication to be injected through her IV. The monitor beeped softly and went green.

"NOOOO! How could you do this?! I said I'd come with you, I said I would!" Lucy sobbed.

Ben walked out with the medic on his heels, leaving her alone.

Lucy swore at him and screamed, "YOU SICK BASTAAARD!" Pulling hard on the restraints, she let out a moaning wail and cried out, "WHYYYYY?!" Writhing and struggling all the more, she yelled, "You bastard!" over and over until she finally collapsed back onto the bed, sweating, breathless and defeated. "Oh God...why?" she whispered. A mournful sob rose up from the bottom of her breaking heart,

and she wept bitterly.


"I know you have her!" Flynn said to Rittenhouse on the console monitor.

"We meet again. How did you like Rohv? That's my little storage facility for the people to populate the planets and quadrants I will run. Of course, I would have to wipe their memories first and then...reprogram them to be," he waved his hands around nonchalantly, "subservient, obedient, controllable." He looked at Flynn, "You would have made a great henchman...but now you're my son in-law...and I can't have that."

"What's he talking about?" Wyatt asked.

"Is Lucy Rittenhouse's daughter?" Rufus asked surprised.

"Sssh!" Jiya said, waving her hand at the them.

"So, an exchange, Flynn. You for Lucy. Or I'll keep her...and blow up your ship. What's it going to be?"

"He's lying," Wyatt said intensely.

Flynn made the decision. "I'll meet you on your ship."

"What?! No! Flynn! Bad idea!" Rufus exclaimed.

"That isn't a good idea, Flynn," Noah warned.

"Wait, let's think about this," Wyatt tried to reason.

But Flynn ignored them all, "I'll meet you in exchange for Lucy."

"Wise man. Come aboard."


"Tell me you have a plan," Rufus said, trailing behind Flynn as he made his way to the transporter platform with the others behind them.

"You know he's not going to let you or her go," Wyatt reasoned. "We should think of something else."

Flynn turned around to look at Rufus, Wyatt and Bam Bam, "I need you three to get onboard the Destroyer, too."

"I'm with you man, but how?" Rufus asked.

"I know how," Karl said, "if you three get into one of the large containers, I can put a TL device on it and transport it to their cargo bay, just like we did on Martol."

"In a container?" Rufus asked in disbelief.

"How will that work?" Wyatt asked skeptically. "They're not going to notice a container suddenly popping up in front of them?"

"They may, so you'll need to be ready for anything," Flynn replied. "Karl will transport you all down at the same time he sends me. When you get there, do whatever you can to find Lucy."

"Here," Jiya said, typing on Rufus' tablet, "I'll send Lucy's chip frequency to all of you so that you can easily locate her."

Flynn nodded to her. "Thank you, Jiya."

"How will we find you?" Wyatt asked.

"Don't worry about me, just get Lucy. Jiya and Karl, keep the ship far enough away to be somewhat out of danger, but close enough to fire the disruptive EMP device torpedoes. Give us fifteen minutes before you fire them."

"But those will disable the ship, too," Bam Bam stated.

"That's where I'll need Jiya again," Flynn said, looking at her. "You contact the Federation, ask for Admiral Christopher. If anyone will help us, it will be her. Tell her to send all the ships and pilots she can over to the Pleiades system, because we're going to need help. Tell her that Rittenhouse will be there with a lot of his ships and that they will be without power, but only for twenty minutes. We need them to get here in time to obliterate Rittenhouse, but they need to arrive after we launch the torpedoes."

"But, what if I can't get her to send help?" Jiya worried.

"I'll try to stall until the EMP wears off and think of something else, but Jiya," he touched her shoulders, "do whatever you can to convince her, please. Okay?"

She nodded, seeing his earnestness, "I will, Flynn."

"How will we all get back?" Wyatt asked.

"Jiya, if you can, fly the ship into their launch bay and hopefully we'll all be there to be picked up," Flynn said. "Now, you three get your weapons and get to a container. Jiya, lock them in and put a TL device on it."

Rufus laid a hand on his shoulder, "We'll find her."

"Thanks, Rufus."


Wyatt, Bam Bam, Jiya and Rufus ran down the corridor to the cargo bay. They checked their guns as Rufus searched for a container. "There's an empty one in the back over here!" Rufus yelled as they all followed him in further. They reached the container and Wyatt opened it. All three climbed inside and Bam Bam handed Rufus a gun.

"Be careful," Jiya said to Rufus, who gave her a quick kiss.

"I will."

Jiya closed them in, and stuck a TL on the corner. "Okay, Karl!"


Handing Noah his gun and knives, Flynn stepped up on the transporter platform, "Standby for anything medical."

"Got it."

Flynn spoke into his comm, "We'll all only have twenty minutes before their ship is operational again, or before the Federation blows them up and us, too."

"Flynn, you'll be arriving on their bridge. Guys, you'll be in their cargo bay," Karl announced.

"Great, let's go!" Flynn ordered.

Karl sent the transporter command for Flynn and the container and both disappeared.


Another contraction started. Lucy moaned, pulling on her restraints as it got harder. When it finally subsided, she laid back with tears in her eyes

and waited for the next one.