Energy
"Say what you will and leave." Alley said with a growl as she hugged Jane gently. "You did just as much evil as the Elders did. To people who trusted you no less." Jane sagged in her grip and Alley moved to bolster her partner. "It is okay, Jane. It is okay."
"No." Jane said weakly as Alley held her. Her voice was odd. Almost childlike? "It is not."
"Yes, it is!" Alley reassured the distraught woman, hugging her tight. "Whatever he has or has not done, your life is not a lie! You are Jane Kelly. Warrior. Ranger. Hero." She hissed at the Ethereal in human form as both Doctor Cooper and Milodi rose to move to Jane's side. "My partner."
"How… How long?" Jane managed as Alley crooned to her. Milodi laid a hand on Jane's shoulder and Doctor Cooper took her slack left hand in both of his. "How long have I served an alien!" She all but wailed the last.
"I came here almost a century ago to escape the ones who held another of my kind." The being she had followed loyally throughout the war with the Elders said quietly. "I did not understand what was happening, just that Mosaic was hunting me. I was young and like most young, inexperienced and afraid. I hid on this world and only realized what I truly was just before Shamash died." He nodded to Doctor Cooper who did not react. At all. Shamash had been the name of the Ethereal who had died and whose energy had coalesced into the Lady over many decades. "It was a hell of a shock." The hidden blue Ethereal shook his head. "I made many mistakes but humanity needed a defense and I needed somewhere to hide." He looked at the floor. "As well? I needed to atone for what I did to a brave, broken man. I had no idea what I was doing and William Carter paid for it with his sanity." Now, he shook his head. "It was needed, but that does not- cannot! -make it right." When he looked up, his face was forlorn. "I am sorry, Jane Kelly. Perhaps you will succeed where I failed."
"How many know?" Jane demanded, her anger trying to get past her horror and failing. Alley just held her.
"No one except the psis." The Commander said quietly. "Jenni guessed and confronted me just before the attack on the Elder's base. I explained what I could and she deferred judgment until after that. You know what happened there." Jane went totally still and he nodded. "She was incredibly powerful and could sense that I had power no one else knew about. Syndrome and the others? They guessed too, after." Alley stared at him, her crest expanding in her distress and he nodded to her. "Arisha knows."
"Are you why Jenni died?" Jane was shuddering in Alley's grip and Alley worked to reassure her both physically and psionically.
"No." The Commander paused and then frowned. "And yes. I am the reason the Elders came here in the first place. That said? I did not kill her and I wanted her to live! Jane Kelly, you have no reason to believe me, but I fought beside you and her in that horrible place. I lost part of myself when she fell, just as you did." Jane snarled at that and Alley hugged her tighter.
"Leave." Alley commanded. "Now."
"I have to say this." The human who wasn't one said firmly as Jane sputtered at him. "I did not kill your love, but I bear some responsibility for her death along with countless millions of others. The Elders knew I was on this planet and not just me." He eyed the Doctor who glared at him,, but did not speak. "Others of my kind hid here from them and other threats. I thought I could protect this world and them. I was wrong. Once I realized what I truly was, I gave of myself, hoping to spread the energy that I bear out, to help you and the others to fight when needed. I do not know how they tracked me. I do not know if I drew them somehow and I probably never will know. I do know they were after me all along." He shivered. "They were quite clear about that when they interrogated me. When they tried to break my hold on this form and I refused. All I can offer is my apology, Jane Kelly. I lied to you and everyone. I was afraid, but that does not excuse what I did."
"Does Bradford know?" Jane demanded tightly.
"No." The alien in human guise said quietly. "He has guessed that I am not human, but he knows I fought, bled and all but died for the organization. I do not know what he will do when he finds out, but I am guessing it won't be pretty."
"Ya think?" Jane snarked and then subsided as Alley crooned to her again. "I… I cannot accept your apology. Maybe someday. But not today. I will never forget what you did. You lied to us all!"
"Yes, I did." The X-Com commander said quietly. "It was needed, so I did it. So many things…" He mused and then shook his head. "You will not see me again, Jane Kelly. You wondered why I was grooming you for leadership. Now you know." He braced to attention and saluted her. "Be well, Commander."
Then he was gone!
"Wha-?" Jane stammered, undone by all of this. Alley just held her as she worked through her emotions. Then she got angry. "That… He…"
"The truth was going to come out sooner or later." Doctor Cooper interjected quietly. Jane stared at him in horror as he bowed his head. "I knew. My mother knew. Lying feels wrong, but in this case? He promised to kill anyone we told. Both of us believed him." Milodi looked stricken as Doctor Cooper heaved a sigh.
"Smart man." Alley gave Jane a squeeze. "You are not alone, Jane. Not now. Not ever!" She shook her head. "I expected him to explain, but this? To drop the job on you like this? I knew he was pragmatic, but that was evil."
"I am not the Commander." Jane all but begged.
"You are now." Alley just held her as Jane struggled to control her emotions. "Jane, it is okay. You are a good leader." She reassured the other. "You think before you act, but when you must, you act with speed and decisiveness. You are the epitome of an age old manta- 'Mission, men, me'. You think of the job, your people and only then yourself. You are a good leader, Jane and you will be a fine Commander."
"Alley…" Jane begged as she slowly reached up to return Alley's hug. "I… I can't do this! I am not the Commander!"
"You are now." Alley repeated. "I am betting he activated some kind of chain of command protocol before coming here and when you wake up, Bradford will drop it on you. He won't want to any more than I wanted to drop it on you, but he needs a Commander. After this? X-Com needs a leader now who is human, but understands other mindsets. You do. You listen when people have problems, but you do not take crap from anyone. You have my full support, Jane. My nest stands ready to serve you."
"What?" Jane's soft exclamation sounded into sudden, utter silence.
"My nest are weapons, Jane." Alley said softly. "That is all we are. All we were made to be after Easer was killed. Everyone has tried everything we can think of, but we are what we are. Tools."
"You are not a tool!" Jane all but threw those words out as she gripped Alley's head, making the Viper stare into her eyes. "Don't ever say that again! You are not!"
"Jane…" Alley did not fight her partner's grip. "We were made to serve. Who we serve now is our choice, as it was not when we were created. I know my nestmates' feelings as well as I know my own. We will agree on this. We choose to serve you." She smiled a little grimly. "I am only going to say it once: Do not abuse our trust."
That was calm, cool and considered. Also a fairly blunt warning. Abusing the nest's limited trust would get loud. Also very messy in all likelihood.
"I…" Jane dropped her hands and Alley caught them, holding them tight in her own. "I… Alley, I am not a good leader!"
"Yes, you are." Alley reassured the distraught woman. Then she sobered. "And now? You are not alone. You were not part of my family when we met, but now you are. In the end? We know our duty just as you do. We have work to do, Commander."
Jane stared at the Viper in shock as Alley released her, slid a bit away and all but braced to attention. Funny how a snake could do that and make it recognizable.
"If you salute me, I will hit you." Jane warned with a sound that was half sigh and half snarl. Alley just smirked at her and Jane sighed. "What 'work'?"
"Advent is in chaos at the moment and the time is ripe for a change." Alley said as Milodi sat back in her chair. The Doctor remained where he was, standing beside Jane. She gave him a tiny nod, about the best she could do as shocked as she was. He smiled back, but everyone focused on Alley. "Jian made a hell of an impression. From what I understand, she literally scared the shit out of the Speaker." Jane looked at her oddly and Alley's smirk grew even wider. "Her minions took him hostage and he was as arrogant with them as usual. That was a mistake. They scared him enough that they made him pee his pants." Jane's eyes widened and Alley smiled a bit sadly. "She cannot interfere so blatantly again without causing far more problems, but it does leave us an opening."
"An opening to do what?" Jane was not sure about this at all
"To end the war."
Advent City Center Ulep 8, former region of Malaysia as defined before the Elders
"This is insane!" Jane Kelly said softly as she checked her gear. A glance around the troop bay of the Hammerhead submersible assault craft showed everyone was checking their weapons and equipment. "How many times have I said that?"
"Sixteen." Arisha said from her seat next to Jane. Jane stared at her and then at her partner who shrugged. Jesse wasn't happy any more than anyone else was.
"That was a rhetorical question, Arisha." Jesse said with a shrug as Arisha jerked to look at him. "She didn't really want an answer."
"I am sorry." Arisha said quickly, but Jane shook her head.
"It is all right, Arisha." Jane made a face as Arisha bobbed her head. "I am stressed."
"You have a right to it." Arisha reassured her. "I will try to remember when not to answer."
The face she made spoke volumes about that. She was the youngest of the nest and had never dealt with many people outside of it even now. While she and Jesse were both learning things as fast as they could, neither was anything that anyone with brains would call 'educated'. They hadn't had time before their abrupt release from slavery and now? Both were feeling their way into a much larger world. Their nest helped. Alley in particular helped, but it would take time.
"My own… discomfiture aside, this is madness, Alley." Jane said with a glower at her partner who sat on the other side of her, face as serene as a six foot long snake woman's could get. "They won't accept it."
"Oh yes, they will." Alley replied as a growl came from the other side of the troop bay and the two Mutons who sat there. "We are not going to give them, him, any slack at all. If he tries anything, I will melt him into a puddle of goo along with his Avatar." Both Mutons nodded to her and when Jane stared at them, they nodded to her.
"Ooookay…" Jane sounded more than a bit punch drunk by all this, but Alley just smiled at her.
"Jane, you don't have to do anything at all. Just stand there and look menacing." Alley smirked wide as Jane groaned louder. "This has to be my show. You are here to show support."
"And you won't tell me what you have to do." Jane said very softly. "Because I won't like it, will I?"
"No one can know what happens here but me." Alley said heavily. "That is the way it must remain. The Speaker will be removed. His evil ends today. I will do what I can, Jane and I promise you that I will survive this. I will…" She broke off with a gulp. "I will need help." She said weakly.
"That bad?" Jane asked, reaching for Alley's hand.
"Yes." Alley let Jane squeeze her hand and then retracted her hand. "Jane? Can you let me handle this?"
"I… I don't know, Alley." Jane admitted. "These feelings, I haven't had them for so long and now? I am drowning in them." She slumped a bit. "I don't know, Alley."
"Do you trust me, Jane?" Alley was gentle, so gentle as she took Jane's hand again. Jane nodded and then gasped as a hiss of something surrounded her. Then she smiled. Before she could speak, Alley did. "It won't last." The snake woman warned. "But you have suffered enough. This will stress both of us."
"A soporific?" Jane inquired, her face easing from its tension.
"Yes." Alley smiled at her partner but then focused as the craft's engines changed pitch. "Arisha, Jesse! Stay with Jane. She won't be able to fight like this." She turned to the Mutons. "Protect them."
That was a command and both nodded. The silence was broken as Jane giggled!
"And here, I thought I was in command." Jane snickered as everyone stared at her and then at Alley who made a face as everyone looked the same question at her.
"My partner is too tough for her own good sometimes. Anything less wouldn't have affected her at all. It won't last long, but until then? The side effects will be a bit strange. Jane, later." She pleaded as Jane started to reach for Alley, her expression turning lecherous.
"Please?" Jane asked. "Feel good. Been so long…" She sounded so lost and alone that Arisha slid out of her seat, moved to Jane and coiled around her. Jane recoiled, but Jesse just smiled a little wanly. "No." Jane begged as Arisha held her. "You are not Alley!"
"It is all right." Arisha crooned and then started to sing something very softly. What was that? It wasn't lullaby that was for sure. Jane's eyes went huge and then her smile turned decidedly wicked as Arisha's smile got huge.
"Okay." Jane's tone changed. More awake, but was that a good thing? It now held lust. "Later. Bring more of that stuff." She grinned as Alley moaned.
"What have I done? I have created a monster." Alley intoned as the ship shuddered a bit and everyone tensed as the pilot turned to them. Cable was tense and who could blame him? "You know what to do."
"Alley, she is right, this is insane!" Cable snapped as his partner slithered out of her seat to hold herself erect beside him. "I can-"
"You will go utterly mad if you see what is in that lab first hand, Cable." Alley interrupted him. "I am the only one who can go. I have to do it. I will. We will argue, but after I get this done. Stay. Here."
She slid towards the hatch at the end of the bay and no one followed her. Good. That didn't preclude them doing dumb things, but her nest obeyed orders. Jane was disabled and the Mutons had been ordered to obey her. They would not cross Oshina. She had time. A bit. The hatch opened and she was through. As expected, a full dozen Advent hybrid soldiers had weapons aimed at the ship. Alley tensed, but a familiar form strode into view. The Sectoid Adept was almost as happy as Jane had been.
She is correct. The Sectoid's not-quire-female mind voice held scorn, fear and awe. You are insane.
"Crazy is as crazy does." Alley quipped as she slithered forward. None of the troops moved but none fired either. "No one follows me, clear?"
We can guarantee that, but we cannot see in there. The Sectoid warned as Alley started for a bunker hatch nearby. Again, none of the troops as much as flinched. Could they? A close look showed each was surrounded by purple psi power! The Sectoids had kept their end of the deal! Frozen the whole base! The Elders made sure of that.
"I know." Alley reassured the other. "You have my word as Matron that no matter what happens after today, you and your people will not be excluded from being able to choose your own fates."
Part of me wishes you had taken control. Part of me is glad. The Sectoid paused as the door to the bunker hissed open, showing a small room. No, an elevator. Matron… She begged.
"You will all be able to see what happens through me, but second hand, it won't be nearly as bad." Alley reassured the other. "I give you my word, I will save what I can. When I shatter the controls, you will have the choice you were all denied."
We have talked with the Lady and after long discussions with her and others, we have chosen to offer the Priestesses our support. The Sectoid said heavily. All I can say is 'Good Luck'.
"I am not the one who will need luck." Alley entered the elevator and the door slid shut. It started down, far too loud and clunky to be Elder manufacture, although the security systems that came alive were. Then it was moving far too fast for anything built by humans.
The door opened to horror and a familiar, hated, voice.
"It plays out." The Elders' Speaker rose from the lab table where he had been working on something as Alley started forward, only to freeze as a security field snapped into existence around her. Whatever it was, it wasn't Elder tech. Indeed, its feel was human! "None of that, my dear. We have much to discuss."
Instead of answering, Alley looked around. Dozens of tanks held human forms, some in a state of decomposition. Machinery of both human and Elder design was scattered about. An Avatar lay on a table nearby, its form dulled by lack of psionic power, but that paled beside the boy in the bed beside it, connected to the Avatar by several tubes. Alley did not react as he twisted in the bed. His dirty dark hair fell from obscuring his face and she had confirmation. She didn't need to see the faces of the dying forms in the tubes to know what they were. All would be the same.
The boy had Jian's face!