Jason's day hadn't gone as well as he would have liked.
The engine the abandoned car he managed to bring into the base to work on still wouldn't clock over properly.
He figured it had to be the timing, or a fuel line blockage.
His love of classic muscle cars usually got him worked up from frustration over expensive parts but he couldn't resist it.
His winnings as a race driver used to pay for it, but since he had to retire from it due to his identity being exposed, he lost his one true love. Making it harder for him to be in public places let alone on TV in a race car.
The old car he found nearby still had a decent engine, sleek black finish, car body with no rust. The black dodge with the chrome engine mount turbo looked like it stepped off the set of the fast and furious. How could leave that baby out there to die.
Jason spotted Mark walking towards him with his usual serious expression.
He figured another mission likely on the cards, from the look of him he was going undercover.
With no mention of women lately Jason figured he's given up on his Galaxy Girl, he appeared to be suffering for it, Mark's anguish grew daily. He was worried about him, Mark's melancholy moods on the increase since that mission where Jeremy was tortured. But then they were all under pressure.
Jason lifted his head from the bonnet, wiped the slick grease off his hands and picked up his bottle of water.
Mark quietly leaned against the side of the car appearing to be in deep thought mulling over something.
Jason, didn't like the look of it, Mark's behaviour was far too serious for his liking.
"Spit it out." Jason's focus returned to his car.
Mark could spend hours nutting over problems, Princess used to indulge him. Jason just wanted to know the outcome, and get on with it, straight and narrow.
"Alright, I was going to break it to you more gently. Build up to it." Mark signed straightening up he handed something to him.
"What?" He held Marks communicator.
"Your ship now, your command." Mark's intense expression couldn't be more serious.
"You have got to be shittin me." Jason felt a shockwave rolled over him, Mark held onto his command tight, no way would he give it up.
"I'm not shitting you." Mark quoted him.
"What brought this on?" He demanded, handing back his bracelet, he refused to take it.
"Keep it. It's useless to anyone else." He reluctantly accepted it back.
"That's right Jason, the world doesn't need G-1 to win the war for them. You said yourself- often I hold back too much." Mark turned to leave, he wasn't letting him off the hook that easily.
"Bullshit, you know I push you to act, you hold it in check. It's how we work, it's how it rolls." He couldn't believe it. He had wanted his own command but not like this.
"Chief has my resignation letter on his desk." Mark walked away. He ran after him blocking his path.
"It's done Condor." Mark tried to dodge him, he kept blocking him.
"Do you think it's just us fighting this war?... do we even know who we're fighting?" Mark asked the question.
"Y, know, Spectra, Zoltar- the invaders we won over a few weeks back and stole their base… if you can't get that straight, then go…" Jason's fury at his abandonment unleashed. He wanted to punch some sense into him.
Mark hesitated for a moment, his expression turning dark. "I'm going to find Princess, I'm not quitting until I do- that's all you need to know for now."
Mark looked like he was about to say something and changed his mind, instead he walked in the direction of the regular fighters. He wasn't taking the G-1.
Jason couldn't argue with that. He'd do the same, and he figured, Mark must have come to a conclusion about his love life and was infiltrating Spectran forces and dumping his Galaxy girl.
His day just went from being frustrated over his lucky find to being thrown into the command seat all in one day. Setting off to find Chief Anderson, Tiny he Keyop he wondered if could get any worse.
###################
A few weeks later.
Prin walked down the corridor of the hospital in the Spectran occupied city of Pariee with her friend Dr Rema.
Wearing casual jeans and a white T-shirt, boots, and her hair loose. She blended into the civilian population. A soldier who had been her allocated driver for the last few hours followed at a safe distance.
Her rehabilitation was going well, she had been given clearance to run errands at least. The boredom of being in her apartment was driving her insane, limiting any of the freedom she once had. Mala had dropped in to visit, wanting to know when she would be returning to active duty.
Dr Rema had been telling her, he was about to leave for the frontlines again.
Worried about him she expressed her concerns, and he dismissed them. He was a field surgeon as far as he was concerned, his place was in a field tent.
He ran his risks bringing back as many Spectrans alive as he could, sending home as many as Zoltar allowed. He longed to return home and see his family, and held hope they would withdraw from this useless war concerning Zoltars ego and his lazy methods in helping Spectra rebuilt its natural resources. They had the technology, why not use it more wisely.
Even in the occupied city there were green clad soldiers everywhere, looking out at a sea of green, civilians roamed the streets with caution.
"I can get myself home." She warmly patted his arm, appreciating his gentleman like manners. "I have this guy following me, and he won't let me drive."
"You're shoulder still has more healing, lighter exercise will rebuild the tissue." He said.
"I know… " He gave her a knowing frown. At least Mala wasn't requesting she join her for a facial and another fairy tale movie, like she did when she bare sit up.
Recovering from her wounds had taken time, and her leader out of 'concern,' had invited her to dinner. She was driven there from the hospital and returned hours later.
Sighing heavily, she glanced at the masked soldier following her. He was helpful, assisting her with supplies on the way to the hospital. Waiting patiently while she was in a physio session.
"Look after yourself young lady. One day I hope you have more than this… someone special." He warmly smiled, referring to conversation they'd had a few days before. Her heart sank, she wondered if she'd ever be the same again after spending time with Mark.
"I had someone special… I… he knows what I am now…" Sadly she looked away for a moment. The soldier at the door moved a little, folding his arms.
Dr Rema's eyes convey empathy.
"Besides, he's Federation, how in the world could that work?" Trying to reason she pushed back her feelings. "I fell for him hard… oh Rema, the best days of my life… were with him." She admitted, a lump forming in her throat.
"I can't help you with this one, I hope he sees the real you, and fights for you…see's you're not what they make you do." He placed his hands in the pockets of his white coat as she said her goodbyes.
She wanted to hug him for his kind words, he was like a father to her.
The soldier followed her indicating the car he had to escort her back to her apartment.
Opening the door for her she was surprised by his manners, she hopped into the backseat. He must have done some chauffeuring duties for officers.
They drove off through the city towards her apartment. Driving in silence for a while, she wasn't really interested in conversation.
"A penny for your thoughts." He asked.
"You don't want to know my thoughts." She sighed.
"You just left the hospital, figured, you were wounded in battle." He said in rough Spectran.
"Drive the car." She said hoping he'd get the hint. "Please," she added more politely.
He didn't, he started chatting about all sorts of things, asking her opinion on the war. She listened quietly.
Her thoughts were with Mark, wanting to see him, and dreading his response now he knew the truth about her.
He finally pulled up in front of the block of apartments.
He leaped enthusiastically out of the drives side of the car, and clasped her hand as she went to step out.
Take a-back by his manners, he picked up a few bags of supplies he had in the car for her.
"I can carry those." She insisted, he insisted he was there to help her. "You're okay to leave now, I won't be going anywhere."
"My lady, I'm here to help you." He insisted, hanging onto the bags.
"I'm taking the stairs." She turned and walked into the building, he fell into line with her as they went up several floors. Puffing a little as she reached the top she wanted to build up her fitness and strength again.
He put down the parcels, catching her hand to steady her. For the first time she noticed a lock of chestnut brown hair brushing his collar. A familiar twinge hit her. Shaking her head, the number of times in the last few weeks she had felt it and it amounted to nothing.
His kindness was touching.
He picked up the parcels, and followed her down the hall, she punched in the code for door, it clicked open.
"I'll be alright from here." She said as he placed the items just inside the door. "Thank you for your help."
"I'll put them in the kitchen." His rough voice was charming, allowing him through the door he placed them on the bench and walk back to the front door.
"Where you need me, you just have ask." He smiled warmly. "I promise not to drop by your apartment for dinner without an invitation."
Unsure of what to say, she found his response strange. "You're being forward for a driver."
"I could drop in for coffee one day." He teased.
"What's your name soldier?" Bristling by his forward manner. Picking up one of the bags her insides went to jelly as his accent dropped and he spoke in English.
Grinning, he tipped his mask, his lips, she knew those curves, her jaw dropped listening to his words. " I hear the waterfall in the woodlands is lovely at this time of year…I won't need to chop wood since its warming, we could always go on a date night… "
Spinning around he was gone.
Paling from his words she raced to stairs, no sight of him there. Running back inside she peered out the window. The car was still there, but she had a gut feeling he left some other way.
Turning around and walking into the dining room, she spotted a paper bird sitting on the table.
Her heart hammering until it hurt her chest. The tender warmth like a summers day flooded her entire being from head to toe, he had searched for her- it had to mean something.
He had left her clues, that he wanted to meet up with her again, and he had delivered it personally. Wringing her hands, she sank down onto the bed.
Oh Mark… she thought, joy filling her heart.
You're a scoundrel for not telling me it was you! She playfully scolded him, nothing could take her joy away in that moment.
It transported back in time, to how she felt in the meetings, before he revealed his identity and the feelings, he provoked inside of her.
The mystery of him, and now she knew him well.
Her collection of paper birds!
He'd found her in the occupied hospital, it was him! She had been too sick to piece it all together after going through fevers with an infection in one of her wounds.
She would wake up from restless sleep to find an origami paper bird sitting on the side table. One day she woke up to see a man in a hospital orderly uniform standing by the window watching her.
For a moment, she swore his silhouette looked like Mark. He moved, his features were not Marks. Apologising for waking her, he left the room.
At the time, she was disappointed and pushed it aside from her longing for him to be there. The paper birds! In her foggy state, she had forgotten about the one he folded for her on a date months before.
Relief flooded her, and she knew her next move, she would be running errands for Mala in the next few days as her strength built up again.
He had asked her a long time ago for serum samples, at that moment she'd do anything to have her memories back. She'd start there and go and find him as soon as it was safer to do so.
#####################
Walking through the camp Black-Swan didn't meet any opposition. As she observed the environment her thoughts ran over the last week of her recovery. Mala had kept her duties lighter. Sending her on errands rather than combat missions.
It gave her time to think, to assess her life and the information she learned from Dr. Rema. Until this point all she had known was the Spectran army, and Spectra her home planet.
It was all thrown into doubt when she looked at the brain scan.
It was hard to see at first, like it was designed to stay hidden. Dr. Rema pointed it out, a tiny device sat in her brain. Shaking internally, she couldn't tear her eyes off it. Then he filled her in on intel coming out of Spectra from the rebellion.
Some of the rebel leaders had their adult children targeted in the last three years. Rekdor's own daughter was taken when she was helping Federation prisoners escape. She was seen in the arena with her. When he described her she identified her as Dove.
Dove died that day in battle. He went on to explain they had found out they were wiping their memories and placing them in the ranks of the Sicarius and Blackbirds. They were sent to find their families and kill them. Disgusted by it, Dr Rema had tears in his eyes as he spoke. He was looking for them amongst the Sicarius on Earth. He hoped to find a way to return them home.
He believed she wasn't recruited from the ranks. If only Dr Rema understood what went on in their training. She'd had more than her memories wiped, it was like she was reprogrammed.
That left one other, thing, and in her mind, she blocked it out. The truth sat there like an old friend waiting for the acknowledge its presence. Marks first words to her echoed in her mind. How could she have believed him.
Earth was a strange unknown planet to her. His claims far- fetched…and now the things he told her were becoming real. Pushing away her wondering thoughts she blinked back tears. She had to be strong when on duty. She could save her tears for later./em
Glancing around the guard station, most of the soldiers found it to be a holiday camp, sitting around playing cards looking bored.
The POWS trapped inside watched her fearfully. Their empty eyes and hunger followed her as she walked past the high electrified fences.
Some of the prisoners had blank expressions, eyes wondering as if they had no clue of their captivity or how they got there.
Noting her observations, taking in every detail she made her way to the command centre.
Keeping with protocol, she checked in with the Camp commander. A short conversation with him, he approved her access.
Rarely did they tangle with the Sicarius and Blackbirds on assignments for Mala and Zoltar. No one dared question it too much least they get the wrong attention.
What if she was really G-3? Why would he lie to her?
He had never lied to her. Not once did he have hidden agendas towards her. Her life had been filled with so many lies she didn't know who to believe. But the hard evidence was there in her brain, an implant. Like Mark had described it.
"Good afternoon," The lab secretary greeted her. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm here to see how your work is coming along?" She freighted knowing what the research was, a few choice questions enabled her to appear knowledgeable.
"Yes… the subjects have had mixed reactions, but with a few tweaks we can stabilize it better. It's never been attempted on this scale…" The Spectran head research scientist with wild electric blue hair frowned." Mala and Zoltar are demanding we have it ready by next week."
"You're changing the original formula?" She asked.
"Yes and no- it's been decided on mass we need to tweak it, and then there is the availability of the primary ingredient. It's only found on our home planet- the Sicarius poison is hard to get even on Spectra."
They use the spiders poison in it? She wondered, what she knew of the poison, it was lethal.
The Assistant detected her hesitation and responded. "There was an attack on our labs outside of Vani a few months back. Destroyed the original formula we developed."
Her interested rose. "Oh.."
"Three years of work down the drain, we have start again." The assistant huffed. "The head scientist finally got it right two years ago."
"Really." She said.
"I worked in there for a while before being transferred. She wanted something that would get past a brain implant… it's all gone now." Sighing heavily." We had enough for one shot at it. That's probably why Mala wants us to rework it. It's was incredibly fine-tuned, but Dr Terr was killed in the attack."
An icy chill ran through her.
"Did it work on the subject?" She asked.
"I wasn't there, so I can't say, it was an experiment." The woman enjoyed talking. " She had a particular prisoner, the first dose failed. I know that much. The second didn't. Beyond that it was none of my business… a doctor tended to whoever it was in the medical bay."
"Two years ago?" She muttered.
"Yeah about that time. I saw the young girl there once, she looked like she'd been put through a meat grinder. Mala wanted her talking before she tried the serum again. I remember her pretty eyes- green, and some numbered shirt we were asked to test." The arrogant woman went on and on about her formulas.
Contempt filled her, the assistant treated people like lab rats.
She wanted to ask more about the prisoner, but she had already given her another source for the information.
Her condescending glare clearly indicated she would barely understand the science so she kept it simple. "The poison is peculiar, complex in how it works, combined with a few chemicals its effects are incredible on humans, memory loss is on only a percentage of cases, death in others."
The Lab assistant paused to see if she comprehended it." While there are still a certain number of unpredictable results, Mala appears to fall back on it. Here… I have a list of its side effects and what happens if it doesn't work correctly- They really don't educate you Sicarius.
The poison on its own will kill its prey within twenty-four hours. We are still experimenting on the Earth humans so we will let you know more soon."
"Thank you…um… Interesting." She pretended not to really appear too interested in the information.
"Considering you girls take the serum voluntarily. Picked from our finest soldiers to commit to highest level. I have to credit your dedication to our planet." The assistant said. Patronising her she drew in a breath.
Taking the extra samples, and ignoring the comments about dedication she continued her errand. "Oh, is there an anti-dote for the Sicarius poison? Just in case I use it, and decide I need the recipient to live."
"Try thinking before you shoot." The woman rolled her eyes, in a condescending manner. "Not really, but we haven't tried all the Earth antidotes for dangerous spiders. A combination could combat the effects, but may only delay death by a few days."
"I'll get you a copy of the information of the formula Mala prefers, you might learn something." The older woman strolled arrogantly out of the room, still on her mission to educate her.
The woman left the room to go and copy her documents, taking advantage of being alone in the lab she discreetly went into the vial storage.
Slipping it into her belt pocket she waited near the desk for the assistant to return.
Taking the new samples and information she thanked the lady and left the building to go to her new base, she would have to hide it until she could meet with Mark.
Her heart clenched at thought of their next meeting. Unsure of what to expect from him, she had to trust him. She couldn't shake how she felt, and she wanted to know more about the implants.
Uncertainty paved the way for her, like following a path without a map. Taking in all of what Dr. Rema had passed onto her, she wondered. Was G-3 captured and turned against her own team? If she was their Swan, then would she ever be able to go back? How would the rest of the team respond knowing what she had become?
Shuddering at the ideas floating in her mind, she climbed into her Starfighter. Planning her next move and it was to face Mark after what he had witnessed. She had work to do within the rebellion, her life in the army. She had no idea where she belonged.
No matter what happened between them she wanted the truth of her past life and find a way to start over.