Title: Rescue Run

Author: Lady Rheena

Genres: Alternate Universe, Action/Adventure, Romance

Rating: R

Disclaimer: If you recognise it from a fandom, I probably don't own it. That includes the world of The Matrix, all its characters and the concepts it entails. The idea of the Fleet and the Planetary Coalition are technically my own, but you'll probably recognise bits and pieces from various sci-fi media.

Chapter notes: Rose-coloured glasses on, ladies and gentlemen. Oh, come on. Big stirring speeches are fun!

Part 21- Planet D-441

'You know, a year ago, if someone told me I'd be in bed with a woman who was born on Ganymede I'd have thought they were crazy.'

'A year ago you didn't know what Ganymede was.'

'All the more reason I'd have thought they were crazy.'

Dena smiled and tipped her head straight back to kiss him on the chin, snuggling back a little more into his chest with a sigh.

'A year ago if someone told me I'd be in bed with a Terran who's spent most of his life hacking into the galaxy's biggest virtual reality system I'd probably have thought they were crazy too.'

'Well that's something we've got in common,' he said as her chrono alarm went off.

'That's ten minutes to fifteen-hundred.'

'Damn,' he muttered as she rose to dress. 'How long is this stuff going to take?'

'Depends.'

'On what?'

'On Deadbolt.' Snapping the fasteners on her boots closed, she stood up and pulled her jacket straight. 'It's going to be virtually all-go from here on up.'

'Sorry. This is my first evacuation,' he said with no apology at all in his tone.

'Well if we don't get a chance again I'll see you on the Gormenghast,' she replied wickedly.

'Hey!' He struggled upright and caught her by the arm, pulling her onto his lap as she made for the door. 'You'd better be kidding about that, Den.'

'I hope I am.' She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. 'C'mon. Lemme go. The last thing I need is to walk in late and piss off Lock and Niobe.'

'I'm serious.' His eyes locked with hers, strangely intense.

'Sparks, any evacuation is a scramble one notch off total chaos. This is the biggest one I've ever heard of and we've got a potential for open combat thrown in the mix too. Believe me, the next couple of weeks are going to show you the real meaning of the word hectic.'

'Couple of weeks? It's going to take that long?'

'We're moving quarter of a million people, Sparks. It can't be done overnight.'

'So what, you're going to have those hot-burning ships of yours whizzing in and out of here, probably with the gates permanently open?' He shook his head. 'We're going to have sentinels all over us in minutes, never mind a couple of weeks!'

'Well what do you think the fighter squadrons Wingeye's prepping are going to do?' she soothed, running one hand through his hair. 'We're not going to leave the place totally undefended, Sparks.'

'Fighter squadrons,' he repeated blankly. 'But that's- I mean- you said you were in a fighter squadron.'

'I am.' She grinned. 'Dizzi's Desperadoes. Best damn squad in the fleet, even if I do say so myself. Those squiddies won't know what hit 'em when the Desperadoes start flying.'

He swallowed and looked away for a moment.

'I thought they'd want you…on ground staff. Supervising. Zion liaison, or something.'

'Are you kidding? I'm a pilot, not a diplomat. If it comes to blows that's where I'm going to be, out there kicking butt, not sitting on ground staff worrying about the numbers adding up.'

'I just…' He swallowed again and closed his eyes. She sighed and stood up, deftly untangling her hands from his and making for the doorway again.

'This is how it always happens, Sparks. Guys're always trying to hold me down on pretence of protecting me.'

'I'm not trying to protect you.' He looked up and managed a very small smile. 'Come on, after living here all my life do you honestly think I'm intimidated by women who're more than capable of looking after themselves?' The smile vanished. 'I just don't want to lose you, that's all.'

She softened.

'You won't.'

'I hope not. Space'd be shitty without you.'

Finally she permitted herself a shadow of a smile.

'I've got to go.'

'I know. I'll see you later.'

Dena closed the door and started for the elevator, something Cas had said to her drifting back like a lost mote on the wind. They make 'em good in Zion.

Yes, she thought. They sure did.

'…the simplest way to issue these instructions will, I believe, be a full gathering of all personnel in the Temple as soon as possible.'

'I believe we would all agree with that estimation, Commander,' Councillor Dillard said. 'But might we have some kind of brief rundown of the procedure now?'

Dena had to grin at the vaguely apologetic nature of the woman's tone. Oh, people might bicker and natter on about democracy and fair government, but when push came to shove the civilians always looked to the military for a solution. It was an impossibly human failing that had caused plenty of problems in the race's bloody history, but in this particular case it was the best possible way to get things done. And Lock, she got the impression, was rather enjoying himself.

'Of course, Councillor.' Then he looked at her and she wanted to hit him. 'Captain, perhaps you would oblige since you're more familiar with the basic procedure than I am.'

'Yes sir,' she said. The slight irony was not lost on him but he let it pass as she stood.

'Do we have an estimate for how long this process will take, Captain?' Hamaan asked.

'Based on pure numbers, Councillor, it would take around eight days to evacuate all personnel from the surface,' she replied. 'But that's unlikely to be the final figure once the machines start to interfere.'

'Eight days?' he echoed.

'That's a minimum, Councillor. Depending on the level of machine action, I wouldn't like to hazard a maximum.'

'But from what the Commander has said that will mean eight days of leaving at least one of our gates open to any and all machine combatants,' West put in.

'Indeed, Councillor, however the Voltaire is currently in the process of planting modified scuttlebugs along the chosen route to the surface which will act as potent deterrents to any machine trying to enter those tunnels. All other access to that route will be sealed off. It'll be a closed conduit for the drop ships.'

Before anyone else could ask anything, Dillard said rather sharply

'Could you please give us a rough explanation of what happens, Captain?'

'I can, Councillor.' Dena quickly ran over the altered plans which she and Lock, in collaboration with Estalla on the Voltaire and remote assistance from Phobos base, had laid out to take into account the unusually hostile situation on Earth. 'The first phase will actually begin at twenty-one hundred hours tonight when a second drop ship from the Voltaire arrives. This ship will be carrying medical and organisational personnel to assist in preparing the city for full evacuation. Normally this wouldn't be necessary, as all Coalition installations are fully briefed and drilled in the procedures, but of course we have to make allowances.'

'Indeed,' Dillard said. 'Continue.'

'First we have to tag everyone in the city with an identifying chip-'

'Like cattle, Captain?' Hamaan said.

'No, Councillor. Like valuable human beings, not a single one of whom can be left behind. The chips are standard in the Coalition, usually implanted at birth. They're a simple and efficient method of identifying individuals and keeping track of people. The medical team will take care of that level by level. At the same time we'll be relieving people of their baggage- that's one kilogram of personal items per individual that gets taken up in each drop. No carry on luggage, I'm afraid.'

'I don't think that will be a problem,' Hamaan said. 'People here tend not to be very materialistic. There isn't exactly much material to covet in the first place.'

'A very good thing, Councillor. Once the Gormenghast is in orbit we go to Fleet condition orange, which gives all military personnel sole jurisdiction over civilian movements-' she stopped abruptly, remembering where she was and also that she hadn't yet mentioned that part to Lock. Unsurprisingly, he seemed rather pleased by it.

'A sensible precaution, given the circumstances,' Dillard allowed. 'Go on.'

'Ordinarily the carrier ships, which have a five hundred person capacity, would land and people would board straight on, but since no carrier would get through the tunnels we'll be using drop ships, operating in pairs, to get forty people at a time to the surface.' Hesitating, she added, 'I'm afraid Fleet doesn't hold with a 'women and children first' policy, Councillors. Evacuation of civilians will be by the levels. Military personnel will be last as they'll be required to organise the ground-based aspect of the evac.' This met with neutral nods. 'A carrier ship will be parked on the surface by the exit point from the tunnels. Each drop ship will unload and make the return run so we have a continuous passage of people. Once a carrier ship is full it will lift to the Gormenghast as another lands.'

'And it is based on this system you've given the eight day estimate, Captain?' West asked.

'It is, Councillor.'

'So what happens when the machines…interfere, as they inevitably will?'

'The Gormenghast will deploy fighter squadrons, marines and destroyers to protect the drop ships and carriers,' she told him. 'Each drop ship carries two gunners, and they travel in pairs initially to protect each other. But if they come under heavy fire we'll bring in the fighters to escort them.'

'Commander, what's your opinion on all this?' Hamaan asked.

'I confess I don't like the idea of leaving a gate open, Councillor, but I don't think we have any choice,' Lock admitted. 'I intend to have the APU corps on full alert, working on rotating shifts to keep the gate constantly covered, just in case anything should make it past the defensive measures the Voltaire is putting in place.'

'What about these fighter squadrons?' Grace wanted to know. 'Are they capable of protecting the ships?'

Dena gave her a fierce grin.

'Councillor Grace, once we get at them they'll wish they never heard of Fleet.'

This caused a moment of puzzlement until Hamaan laughed.

'Of course, Captain, you command one of these squadrons. I think we'd forgotten, what with all the running about you've been doing on our behalf.'

'Councillor Hamaan, if I'm being completely honest I sincerely hope I get to blast some sentinels on your behalf as well, before this is done.'

He laughed again.

'I think Commander Lock is rubbing off on you, Captain. You're starting to sound like one of us now!'

This caused an exchange of amused looks between the councillors. Dillard broke the silence by rising.

'Commander, an order has already gone out for all civilians to move to the Temple as soon as possible. I'm told most of your people will be there as well.'

'Yes, Councillor. The dock crews will be briefed by me later and separately.'

'Then let us adjourn to the Temple,' Hamaan said. 'I want to hear this message, Captain Reese, that you insist must be read out to everyone at once.'

'I think it'll be worth the wait, Councillor,' she said to him.

'Oh it will, will it?' he said, smiling, and gestured for her to precede him through the doorway.

The Temple seemed even more packed than usual, possibly because of the anticipation and excitement that charged the air. Any other population would have been restless, fidgety, but Zion listened in rapt and unwavering attention as Commander Lock, on the speaker's platform, explained what was going to be happening and what was expected of them.

'Once this gathering dissolves, all military personnel will remain behind for orders,' he concluded by saying. 'Everyone else is to return to their own quarters, prepare their personal baggage and remain there to await further instructions.' Every face remained fixed on the platform, gripped with interest, so he glanced briefly back to Dena who was standing with the council in the shadows of the rock formation just behind him before addressing the crowd again. 'I know you've all been waiting for Captain Reese to speak. Unfortunately for all of us, she's been a little shy.' This caused a ripple of laughter. 'Until today,' he added, and moved away. Her heart in her mouth, Dena stepped up to take his place.

She was completely unprepared for the roar that shook the cave. Without any warning, the entire population of Earth's last city started cheering, clapping, jumping about, punching fists in the air and generally making it very clear that they were delighted to see her.

Stay calm, she told herself. Just imagine you're speaking to your squad. Only there're a lot more of them…

'ZION!' she yelled at the top of her lungs. To her surprise, silence immediately took the room. Then she spotted Maloney standing with Neo, and realised that he was using the gathering as a demonstrative exercise to his new protégé. Neo, for his part, grinned and gave her a thumbs-up of encouragement.

'I have here a message from the Congress of the Coalition,' she said, quietening her voice slightly when it dawned on her that the acoustics of the Temple cave almost totally removed the need to shout. Battling to stop her hand from trembling, she held up the datapad. Not even the smallest child whispered. 'The message reads,' she began, thumbing on the display, 'To the people of Zion, our warmest and happiest greetings. There are no words to express our admiration at your courage, fortitude and brilliance in surviving on a planet we long thought devoid of all life. Every one of you is a singular miracle and astounding tribute to the enduring nature of the human race, under even the most dangerous and extreme circumstances.' This prompted murmurs. 'What you have endured goes beyond the unimaginable. It is this and the unifying spirit of humanity that brings us to a decision- we can no longer leave you to struggle on in your war against the machines. The children of Zion and their descendents deserve a better life- one unsullied by war and grief, one lived in a world of blue skies and green fields.' That phrase choked her slightly and she had to pause before continuing. She'd read the document through beforehand, of course, but reading it out loud to a sea of amazed and eager faces captivated by its words was something quite different. 'In the star system of Capella, forty-two light years away, there is a world carrying the designation D-441­ that lies empty and waiting to be peopled. This world is rich and fertile. It has rivers, seas, mountains, clean air and growing things.' Again she had to pause and clear her throat. 'This world we give to you, our brothers and sisters who have laboured so long and suffered so much under the blackened skies of Earth. D-441 is now Zion.' A gasp ran through the assembly but she hurriedly pressed on before she lost her composure completely. 'Welcome, Zion, to the Planetary Coalition.'

For a moment there was deathly silence. Then someone- who sounded to Dena remarkably like Link- gave a single whoop. That seemed to act like a match into a gas flame and the cavern erupted into cheers and ecstatic cries of delight. People started to dance around each other, punching the air, waving their arms around, picking each other up and swinging themselves about. Dena backed off from the ledge before she fell off it and was suddenly hugged around the waist. Wriggling back, she found herself looking at Thadeus.

'You did it! You really did it!'

'I didn't get the-' she began before being hugged by someone else. Then she found herself doing a kind of dance from one person to the next, tossed like some kind of rag doll. Someone- she thought it was Niobe- planted a kiss on her cheek. At some point Neo and Trinity had their arms around her simultaneously. At another moment she was sure that she was being hugged by Hamaan. Then there was an instant of blessed reprieve , which let her get her breath back, and she found that she was standing in front of Commander Lock. For a moment she wasn't sure what to do, but then to her utter and lasting astonishment he gave her a broad grin and a clap on the shoulder before pulling her into a somewhat awkward half embrace. She didn't have time to contemplate it, however, as something heavy bowled into her and nearly knocked her off her feet altogether. It was Link, who had sprinted up from the main cavern where he'd been standing with Zee and Cas.

'Oh my- oh my- oh my-' was all he could say in between breathless guffaws of joyous laughter. Then she was off again, faces dancing before her like flickers of a flame. To her own vague amazement she found that she could name nearly all of them- Ice, Roland, Jue, Ballard, Kali, Axel…even Morpheus gripped her hand firmly as she passed him, his deep brown eyes glistening with unshed tears. Mifune caught hold of her in a rib-cracker, pounding her on the back, and then finally she reeled out of the formation onto the crew ledge proper, dimly aware that Hamaan was on the platform restoring some semblance of order. However just as she thought she was going to pitch over and fall into the mass of bodies below, someone caught her arm to pull her back and she found herself crushed tightly against a broad chest as her nostrils were assailed with the by-now familiar identifying scent of engine oil and fresh sweat.

'Holy shit, Den,' Sparks exclaimed, holding her off him slightly so he could see her face. 'All the way from the platform down here…I swear your feet didn't touch the ground, it was like passing the hot potato or something-'

She laughed and flung her arms around his waist. How many times had she heard him use similes or make references to things he'd never even seen except in scrolling Matrix code?

'You knew, didn't you?' he said, lacing one hand through her hair and resting his chin on the top of her head. 'On the Voltaire, that message…you knew then, didn't you?'

'I knew,' she confirmed. 'I just…I suppose I wanted to surprise you.'

'Just me?' he exclaimed. 'With the whole goddamn place in uproar?'

'Well not just you…I mean, yes, you. All of you. Everyone-' she stopped and shook her head, still laughing. 'I don't even know what I'm saying!'

'Never mind it, then. You've already said what mattered. And everyone heard. Any poor bastard who didn't is going to find out in fewer seconds than I've got fingers, I'll bet.' He wrapped his arms around her again and she let her eyes slide closed as the cheers of the city echoed around them.