Chapter Nineteen
"The fuel's gone! We're dead weight now!" Reuban cursed as the pod slowed and then stopped.
"How close are we to the line?" Sean asked calmly, looking up from where he was applying pressure to Lex's wound.
"Sixteen point four metres. We didn't make it," Reuban said, turning worried eyes to his friends.
"We're fine," Sean assured them. Reuban turned back to his controls, and Dorian shot Sean a furious glare.
"We're NOT fine!" he spat out angrily. "We're stuck in a tin can in enemy territory, without any indications that your friend is on his way, or even if he got the distress message in the first place, and Lex's life is dripping through your fingers onto the floor!"
Sean merely returned the glare.
"I can heal her," Dorian urged.
"And both she and I would hate you for it for the rest of our lives."
"At least she'd have a life to live! I can accept an eternity of hatred as long as I knew she was alive to feel that way."
Sean's shoulders sagged with weariness, his eyes softening. "We both know her condemnation would destroy you," he replied gently.
Dorian's jaw clenched, his angry eyes turning away from the truth shining on Sean's face. Before either could speak, their attention was drawn by Reuban.
"We've got company!" he hollered, his eyes wide as he looked at the radar screen. "Three Macronesian fighters coming up hard!"
"Do something!" Dorian hissed, his amber eyes turning to the unconscious Lex.
"I'd love to, Dorian, but at this point, all I can do is flip them the bird."
The pod grew silent as the team realized the game had ended.
"We're in position, sir!" Tony replied from his post.
"The fighters, Mr. Ortiz?" Hudson asked.
"They'll reach the pod in less than a minute, Captain."
"Lieutenant Henderson?"
"Ready whenever you are, sir," her voice flowed into the bridge from the intercom.
"Fire at will, Lieutenant Brody," Hudson replied grimly, his attention focused on the radar screen.
Brody nodded and pressed the release key. "Got 'em!" he crowed as the grapnel clamped onto the pod.
Hudson smiled grimly. "Reel them in and have doctors Westphalen and Smith report to the docking bay immediately."
"Captain! The fighters are approaching the pod and they've armed their weapons!" Manuel turned unbelieving eyes towards Hudson.
"Mr. O'Neill, open the channel to the fighters on my mark," Hudson said as he stomped over to Manuel's station. "Arm torpedoes three, five and seven, Lieutenant Brody. On my signal, open torpedo doors."
"Yes, sir," both men replied, their hands poised over their keypads. Everyone watched in tense silence as Hudson focused on the radar.
"Now, Mr. O'Neill!" he barked. Tim jammed the button. "This is Captain Hudson of the SeaQuest. You have entered into international waters. If you do not disarm and retreat, I will be only too happy to open fire."
Hudson pointed to Brody. The torpedo doors slid open. The entire bridge held its collective breath as the fighters hesitated. Cheers sounded when they broke off and headed back to Macronesia.
Bridger squeezed Hudson's shoulder before he left the room at a run.
"Captain, the President of Macronesia is hailing us," Tim said grimly.
"On screen, Mr. O'Neill," Hudson replied, turning cold eyes to the huge screen as it jumped to life.
"Captain Hudson," the president snarled with disdain. "Would you mind explaining what the Hell you're doing?!"
Hudson feigned an air of innocence. "It's a rescue mission."
"A rescue mission?! You just aided and abetted fugitives and criminals!"
"No," Hudson shook his head. "We responded to a distress message from a craft disabled in international waters. As a direct result of the current, their escape pod drifted into Macronesian waters, where we rescued them."
"You didn't seek permission to enter into our water!"
Hudson's mouth slid into an evil grin. "We didn't enter into your water."
"This is no laughing matter, Hudson! Those people on that pod broke into my office, stole sensitive information, and destroyed my building!" the president howled in rage, his face reddening and eyes bulging.
"Really?! Well, I'll tell you what. You let me know what this sensitive information is, and if I find it on their persons, I'll be sure to return it to you at once." Again Hudson grinned, knowing he had backed the fuming president into a corner.
The president glared furiously at him. "You haven't heard the end of this!" he shrieked before ending the transmission.
"Captain?" Tim asked hesitantly.
"What is it, Mr. O'Neill?"
"Captain Bridger is requesting your presence in Medbay immediately."
Hudson frowned. "Commander Ford, you have the helm," he said as he began walking away. The others exchanged curious glances, but said nothing.
"You better prepare two more beds," Bridger replied wryly, shaking his head.
Wendy Smith frowned delicately. "Why?"
"Because when Captain Hudson and Lucas get a load of your patient, they're gonna drop like flies."
"Nathan!" Kristen Westphalen admonished him gently.
"Am I missing something?" Wendy asked, her eyes racing back and forth between the other two.
Bridger's eyebrows rose dramatically. "A lot."
Before Wendy could demand an explanation, Captain Hudson strode into Medbay. "You wanted to see me?" he asked Bridger.
"Better ask for a sedative, you're going to need it," Bridger replied dryly as he pointed to the figure on the bed. Hudson frowned as he crossed the room.
When he stopped beside the bed, his face paled and his hands jumped to the railings, the knuckles white as they clenched the metal. "Alexandria!?!" he gasped in shock.
Wendy immediately placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "You know her?"
"Yes," he replied, wiping a shaking hand across his face. "She's my daughter."
"The fuel's gone! We're dead weight now!" Reuban cursed as the pod slowed and then stopped.
"How close are we to the line?" Sean asked calmly, looking up from where he was applying pressure to Lex's wound.
"Sixteen point four metres. We didn't make it," Reuban said, turning worried eyes to his friends.
"We're fine," Sean assured them. Reuban turned back to his controls, and Dorian shot Sean a furious glare.
"We're NOT fine!" he spat out angrily. "We're stuck in a tin can in enemy territory, without any indications that your friend is on his way, or even if he got the distress message in the first place, and Lex's life is dripping through your fingers onto the floor!"
Sean merely returned the glare.
"I can heal her," Dorian urged.
"And both she and I would hate you for it for the rest of our lives."
"At least she'd have a life to live! I can accept an eternity of hatred as long as I knew she was alive to feel that way."
Sean's shoulders sagged with weariness, his eyes softening. "We both know her condemnation would destroy you," he replied gently.
Dorian's jaw clenched, his angry eyes turning away from the truth shining on Sean's face. Before either could speak, their attention was drawn by Reuban.
"We've got company!" he hollered, his eyes wide as he looked at the radar screen. "Three Macronesian fighters coming up hard!"
"Do something!" Dorian hissed, his amber eyes turning to the unconscious Lex.
"I'd love to, Dorian, but at this point, all I can do is flip them the bird."
The pod grew silent as the team realized the game had ended.
"We're in position, sir!" Tony replied from his post.
"The fighters, Mr. Ortiz?" Hudson asked.
"They'll reach the pod in less than a minute, Captain."
"Lieutenant Henderson?"
"Ready whenever you are, sir," her voice flowed into the bridge from the intercom.
"Fire at will, Lieutenant Brody," Hudson replied grimly, his attention focused on the radar screen.
Brody nodded and pressed the release key. "Got 'em!" he crowed as the grapnel clamped onto the pod.
Hudson smiled grimly. "Reel them in and have doctors Westphalen and Smith report to the docking bay immediately."
"Captain! The fighters are approaching the pod and they've armed their weapons!" Manuel turned unbelieving eyes towards Hudson.
"Mr. O'Neill, open the channel to the fighters on my mark," Hudson said as he stomped over to Manuel's station. "Arm torpedoes three, five and seven, Lieutenant Brody. On my signal, open torpedo doors."
"Yes, sir," both men replied, their hands poised over their keypads. Everyone watched in tense silence as Hudson focused on the radar.
"Now, Mr. O'Neill!" he barked. Tim jammed the button. "This is Captain Hudson of the SeaQuest. You have entered into international waters. If you do not disarm and retreat, I will be only too happy to open fire."
Hudson pointed to Brody. The torpedo doors slid open. The entire bridge held its collective breath as the fighters hesitated. Cheers sounded when they broke off and headed back to Macronesia.
Bridger squeezed Hudson's shoulder before he left the room at a run.
"Captain, the President of Macronesia is hailing us," Tim said grimly.
"On screen, Mr. O'Neill," Hudson replied, turning cold eyes to the huge screen as it jumped to life.
"Captain Hudson," the president snarled with disdain. "Would you mind explaining what the Hell you're doing?!"
Hudson feigned an air of innocence. "It's a rescue mission."
"A rescue mission?! You just aided and abetted fugitives and criminals!"
"No," Hudson shook his head. "We responded to a distress message from a craft disabled in international waters. As a direct result of the current, their escape pod drifted into Macronesian waters, where we rescued them."
"You didn't seek permission to enter into our water!"
Hudson's mouth slid into an evil grin. "We didn't enter into your water."
"This is no laughing matter, Hudson! Those people on that pod broke into my office, stole sensitive information, and destroyed my building!" the president howled in rage, his face reddening and eyes bulging.
"Really?! Well, I'll tell you what. You let me know what this sensitive information is, and if I find it on their persons, I'll be sure to return it to you at once." Again Hudson grinned, knowing he had backed the fuming president into a corner.
The president glared furiously at him. "You haven't heard the end of this!" he shrieked before ending the transmission.
"Captain?" Tim asked hesitantly.
"What is it, Mr. O'Neill?"
"Captain Bridger is requesting your presence in Medbay immediately."
Hudson frowned. "Commander Ford, you have the helm," he said as he began walking away. The others exchanged curious glances, but said nothing.
"You better prepare two more beds," Bridger replied wryly, shaking his head.
Wendy Smith frowned delicately. "Why?"
"Because when Captain Hudson and Lucas get a load of your patient, they're gonna drop like flies."
"Nathan!" Kristen Westphalen admonished him gently.
"Am I missing something?" Wendy asked, her eyes racing back and forth between the other two.
Bridger's eyebrows rose dramatically. "A lot."
Before Wendy could demand an explanation, Captain Hudson strode into Medbay. "You wanted to see me?" he asked Bridger.
"Better ask for a sedative, you're going to need it," Bridger replied dryly as he pointed to the figure on the bed. Hudson frowned as he crossed the room.
When he stopped beside the bed, his face paled and his hands jumped to the railings, the knuckles white as they clenched the metal. "Alexandria!?!" he gasped in shock.
Wendy immediately placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "You know her?"
"Yes," he replied, wiping a shaking hand across his face. "She's my daughter."