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"Light it up, light it up, now I'm burning!
Feel the rush, feel the rush of adrenaline!
We are young, we are strong, we will rise,
Cause I'm back, back, back from the dead tonight!"
~Back From the Dead, Skillet
Chapter Seventy-one: Revival
"Say again?" Gallant frowned at the holodisplay. "Repeat that for me, Geist."
"Commander." There he was, flanked by the two sexy female psi-ninjas who'd replaced Janet and Anne. Templar HQ was buried under the Greenland ice, but his image was clear as day, standing eight feet tall amidst the bridge as if he owned it. "One of my contacts has gained critical information on the home lair of the Chosen known as the Hunter. How she came into possession of this information, I do not know, but she and her escort detail have just barely escaped close Advent pursuit. They are en route to a pickup location in Ireland."
"Are they?" Gallant glanced at Bradford. "What kind of information?"
"Location and security." Geist's eyes glowed. "It is my hope that you will be able to replicate your feat with the Warlock and rid the world of another Chosen–"
"Yeah, unless he's asleep at the wheel we're going to need a lot more than a couple passcodes and a GPS lock." Gallant fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Still, it's a start."
"You want us to pick this agent up, don't you?" Bradford didn't look happy. "We've got some problems of our own right now."
"Yeah." Gallant did his damndest to avoid mentioning or even thinking about that unauthorized access. Was there another spy on his ship? No, that was stupid: Advent already knew all about his record. Why would they care about hunting through it?
So the only logical answer is that it's one of my own. Comforting, isn't it? Oddly, Geist was one of the few about whom Gallant harbored no suspicions. He already knew damn near everything, didn't he? Psionics and their crap!
"I have no assets in the area. You are their only hope. And if they die, what happens to their data?" Geist spread his holographic hands. "This is a matter of mutual gain."
Gallant ground his cane into the deck. "Fine. Send us the coordinates."
"Excellent." Geist waved, and someone off-screen started typing. "She is a brilliant engineer, and her escorts capable warriors. I am content to dispatch them as liaisons alongside Janet and Anne if you recover them."
"Generous of you. Nothing like human resources." Gallant waited until Bradford grunted, holding up his datapad to prove Geist's coordinates had been uploaded. "Navigation, we've got a heading." He turned back to Geist. "Thank you for choosing Avenger Services. How else may we be of assistance today?"
"Large fries and a diet coke." Bradford kept his head and eyes down. Geist must not have heard, because he didn't react even as Gallant fought a snicker.
"That will be all, Commander. We will meet again."
"I sure as hell hope..." Gallant blew air through his teeth as Geist ended the connection then and there. "...not." He turned back to his right hand man. "Where are we going?"
"It used to be a small town near Belfast. Now it's a Lost den." Bradford didn't look happy. "Days like this I miss the Skyranger more than most."
"Go yell at Lilah. She'll get her shit together or we'll throw her to the SPARKs."
"Tempting." Bradford chuckled in the back of his throat. "I'll prep a team. It's only Lost, so it shouldn't be a problem."
"It's only Lost!" Jane ground her teeth, glaring at the bar. "What, does Central think I can't pull my own weight? I took out a goddamn sectopod!"
"Jesus Christ, calm down." Irina gave her a solid whack on the arm, and Jane yelped. "Let the others have some time to shine. Those new people, Lawrence and Barta: they could use a mission or two under their belts. Besides, this way you don't have to paradrop."
"But..." Jane clutched her shot glass. Of all the things...this wasn't what she needed right now.
"Fatima's a good leader. And Aileen will keep them straight." Irina threw her shot back, and Jane's eyes lingered on her prosthetic limbs. Skeletal metal and wires instead of sinews and bone...
"What?" The Russian's golden eyebrow went up. "You're staring."
"I am." Jane ran her nails across the bar. "Let me ask you something. If you ran into the person responsible for that ambush we were caught in..."
"What, the Advent captain?" Irina blinked. "Shoot him and move on. No mercy with aliens."
"What if..." Jane struggled with temptation, so she gave into a different one and refilled her glass. Every sip deadened her confusion a little more. Wasn't that good? "What if it wasn't an Adventer. What if it was someone else, someone..."
"Like a spy?"
"...sure. Like a spy." Maybe that wasn't exactly accurate, but who cared? Not Jane, not after this many drinks. "And you found out who it was. Who, ultimately, was responsible for James, and Obsidian, and..."
"..and me?" Irina glanced at her mechanical arm. She flexed it, expression slowly clouding. Her eyebrows creased. "I'm old-school about things like that, Jane. You don't need me to paint a picture."
That arm...and the leg to match it, too. All of Irina's new scars and burns and bruises that hadn't been there before that fateful night and her stay in prison stood out against her features like they ran red with blood, and Jane's heart beat a little faster. Something deep and deadly tugged at her insides: the claws of a hateful beast, stirring from its cradle.
You are a soldier. You are a soldier. Jane glared down into her drink, trying to brand the thought into her mind. We're all on the same side.
...now.
"What's bringing this on?" Irina studied her intently. Jane fought down the urge to flinch.
"Just..." What was she supposed to say? That she'd taken the word of a traitor, hacked the ship's data core, and breached high-level document security? That Advent hadn't just been keeping Gallant pickled as some kind of punishment, but because they were using him as a weapon?
That he'd been the man who had killed Jane and Irina's friends, and nearly them too?
Tempting. Very tempting. Having an ally would make her work easier, not to mention being able to vent to a friend who would understand her pain. But what would Irina do with the knowledge? Something stupid, for sure. She was very old-school. Jane hadn't ruled out doing something stupid either, but...
But what would the consequences be? What Irina didn't know couldn't get her in trouble. Jane's own fate was hers to play with, but Irina deserved peace.
"Just...drinking too much." Jane sighed, rubbing her forehead. It wasn't even a lie, was it? "Guess I'm old-school too."
"There are worse traits." Irina didn't look convinced at all. "Don't be a fool, Jane."
"I..." She huffed as dramatically as possible. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I don't know what you're talking about either. I just said don't be a fool: it's solid advice no matter what you're doing." Irina returned to her drinks, much quieter. "Just don't be a fool."
"You know me." That was a good non-answer, wasn't it?
Irina's eyes tracked Jane's shot glass the whole way up and down.
"She's almost ready to fly. As soon as we get someone from Shen's team to come take a gander and help us work out the last bits of the wiring, I think she'll be in the air." Cameron Rogers examined the Skyranger II critically. "We added some weapon hardpoints. And cupholders."
"That's nice." Tygan frowned. "But you can't have her airborne in time to recover our field team?"
"Doubt it." Cameron whacked the dropship's flank affectionately. "She's a lot more work than you'd think."
"Like most women, huh?"
"Lilah!" Cameron threw his hands into the air. "I did not say that!"
"Sure you didn't. You were about to." She really looked quite fetching, hands on her hips in tattered pre-war shorts with her legs out for the world to see. Especially after so long buried under her flight suit...
Not that I don't still have a soft spot for the old thing. God, maybe he'd worked so hard on the Skyranger II just so he could see Lilah kitted up like the old days again. She'd surmise as much, wouldn't she?
"Firebrand." Tygan inclined his head, for all the world as if he were immune to her charms. "Can you confirm Cameron's analysis?"
"Damn straight I can. I'm not a sparky, so..." She spread her hands artfully. "I'd probably just electrocute myself if I tried to finish up the wiring."
"I see." Tygan turned to his datapad. "I'll notify the Commander and have someone from Engineering come up to take a look. You've worked miracles."
"Don't forget Liang." Cameron smiled. "She helped."
"Eh." Lilah held out thumb and index finger about a quarter-inch apart. "Snarky one-liners and a lot of butt-slapping. No meaningful contributions."
"Oh!" Cameron cleared his throat. Right in front of Tygan?
"Those can be meaningful." Did he ever react emotionally to anything? Without so much as a creased eyebrow, the scientist turned and started for the elevator. "Keep up the good work."
"Yes, sir." Cameron shot him a salute he didn't even notice. "So, where's Liang?"
"Uh..." Lilah shifted her weight. Was something...different? "Room."
"Oh." Cameron hummed under his breath. "What do we do until the team gets back? Aileen's out with 'em, and the new kids, and Sylvie and Junior. Want to round Liang up and go annoy Julian? That's a good way to kill an afternoon."
"Actually..." Lilah coughed. "I kind of asked Liang to stop by already."
"Oh?" Cameron tried his best to lean very casually on the dropship. "That's another good way."
"No, it's..." Lilah's eyes darted across the hangar. "Can you come with me, please?"
"...you said please." Cameron blinked. "Who are you and what have you done with Lilah?"
"Kinky things." The words were her. The tone was...not. Her heart wasn't in it. Had she been putting on a false front for Tygan?
"What's wrong?" Cameron pushed off the Skyranger. "Talk to me."
"Not here." She took a half-step back. "Just...come with me, please?"
"...okay." Cameron's heart started to beat a little faster. This did not sound good. Did she have some kind of disease? She was great and all, but that didn't change his urge to cross his legs protectively.
Lilah didn't say another word. She turned on her heel and hurried across the hangar for the far door, stride uncharacteristically subdued. Cameron's stomach clenched a little tighter with each step.
Is there another spy? He couldn't help glancing over his shoulders. Jiaying and Vermuelen were bad enough, to say nothing of Kipler. But if there's another...
His fingers brushed the stock of the old kinetic pistol he'd "forgotten" to turn in to the Armory. Someday, Bradford would figure out it was missing and give him hell, but if they got shot down again before then, or Cameron got jumped like Tygan had...
"Here," Lilah said, for all the world as if Cameron didn't know where her room was very well by this point. He refrained from snark, just keeping a weather eye down the corridor until Lilah had gone in and he could follow.
"Hey, Moose." Liang leaned against the wall, arms crossed and eyes hooded. "Thank God. Now I can find out who died."
"Oh. She didn't tell you anything either?" Cameron closed the door, glancing at the pilot. Lilah drifted across the room, lips very thin. "She's been very mysterious."
"I don't like mysterious." Liang was definitely a hard one. Her eyes glittered with worry and fear in equal measure. "Lilah, what's wrong?"
"I..." Who was this woman, standing with her back turned? "Well...um...uh, the thing...the fact of it all..."
"Baby. Look at us." Cameron reached for her shoulder. The instant his skin made contact with hers–
"Wow." Liang's eyebrows went up as Lilah squeaked, boots thumping back down on the plating. "I think she went ten feet in the air. At least eight."
"You're scaring us, Firebrand." Cameron swallowed on a dry throat. "What is it?"
"I..." At least she was looking at him now. What was it to fill her with that much apprehension? To twist her up with that much dread? "It's..." She swallowed. "So..."
"Out with it." Liang pushed off the wall. Her lips twitched. "Who's the father?"
Cameron chuckled. Lilah inhaled sharply.
And pointed squarely at him.
"...what?" Cameron's eyes went wide. "This is a joke. You're pranking us!"
Mutely, Lilah shook her head. She never lowered her hand. Was she...trembling?
"...my God." Liang blinked slowly. "You're serious? You're...I was making a joke, and you're..."
"Jesus." Cameron ran a hand through his hair. "You're pregnant?"
"That is usually what they call it when a man implants a parasite in a woman." Finally, a bit of Lilah was bubbling back to the surface. "Or do you want me to waddle around at nine months telling everyone it's a tumor?"
"And I'm the..." Cameron couldn't process the idea. "You're sure?" He held up both hands before either woman had the chance to speak. "Never mind! Stupid question. Sorry."
"Hit him." Lilah glared. "Dick."
"Sure."
"Ow!" Cameron rubbed his arm. "Dammit, Liang. I apologized!"
"There is no apology. Only punishment." But her eyes weren't clear either. "Wow."
"What do we do?" Apprehension flared over Lilah's freckles, and she worried with her hands very intently for a minute. "Central's going to kill us all."
"Not you. You're pregnant." Cameron jerked a thumb at Liang. "Us, he'll kill."
"What have I got to do with this?" Liang shook her head wildly. "Basic biology! I'm blameless!"
"Christ." Cameron sat down hard on the bed. "It's..." He glanced helplessly at Liang. "What do we do?"
"It's not my kid." There was something very final about her tone. "That means it's not my decision."
"What can we do?" Lilah bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Cameron. I screwed up. I must have taken the wrong pill–"
"That doesn't matter, not now." Cameron sucked in breath. "We have to deal with what is. It's not your fault. It's...it's not a bad thing, is it?"
"Come again?" Lilah blinked.
"You're pregnant. That's usually cause for a celebration, isn't it?" Cameron didn't have to dig deep to muster a smile. "Sylvie and Julie have that boy they adopted, don't they? There's precedent. And you're not a field combatant: you can still fly as long as you don't kamikaze anyone again."
"You..." She clutched her mouth. "You're not mad?"
"Why would I be mad?" Cameron pushed up, and he held his arms wide. "Jesus, Lilah: this is wonderful. This will be a morale boost for the entire ship! A child born and raised free?"
"You actually want to..." Tears burst over Lilah's cheeks, and she nearly threw herself on Cameron. She said a lot, too, but whatever it was went right into his chest.
"Easy." He hugged her tight, and her fingers dug into his sweater. "This is a good day. I'm excited. Are you?"
She nodded, spreading her tear-stains over him. Who cared?
A father...a father...
"Well, this is cute." Liang chuckled in the back of her throat when Cameron and Lilah both turned to stare at her. "Just don't get any ideas about whipping up a sibling just yet, okay? I like not puking every morning."
"Kipler?"
"Right here." The Hunter held up the doctor's head by the hair. "Not much else left of him."
"Well." It took a lot to rattle the Assassin. The shattered remnants of the Forge, rent and torn by errant mag-rounds...the flames still burning days later, the support ships hovering over the facility to try and recover whatever valuable materials they could...
"It'll take something on the order of a week just to clear Ol' Rusty from the path." The Hunter idly tossed Kipler's head over his shoulder. "XCOM really did a number on us. We need the new models out here."
"They're not ready." The Assassin didn't feel ready either: not after getting blown up with psi-energy in China. It had barely been a day between the retaliation strike and XCOM's raid into Tennessee. Did they even sleep? "Angelis has said that the keepers are restricted to the holy places. She shared more with our brother, but..."
"But he's not talking." The Hunter popped a few starburst into his mouth, and the Assassin tried to ignore the disgusting noise of his chewing. "They took Specimen Thirteen."
"Really?" The Assassin narrowed her eyes, studying the rushing river. "Angelis won't be happy. Especially if they know what it is."
"They can't, unless our brother told them in one of his fits of maniacal rage before they melted him."
"Unlikely." The Assassin fingered the hilt of her sword. "We have to step up our efforts to stop them. I pulled information from the mind of one of their operatives in China."
"You work that angle." Her brother shrugged, for all the world as if he didn't care. "We need to focus our efforts. Where we failed in the past was trying to be everywhere at once. Now that we're not in competition, you and I have an opportunity for an organized one-two punch."
"Are we not?" The Assassin had never trusted either of her siblings, and she didn't care to sound as if she did even now. "When we recapture Gallant, who will take this world as a prize?"
"To be honest, little sister..." The Hunter chuckled. "That's something to sort out when the day comes, isn't it? For now, we should worry about making sure he doesn't kill us first. Maybe we can have a duel like reasonable Chosen...later."
"Hm." The Asssassin's gaze flicked to General Dourde, far below their perch in the one guard tower to survive the battle. "And what is your plan for your pets?"
"Simple, really." The Hunter chuckled in the back of his throat. "I said you can go after Gallant, didn't I? I'll play defense, just this once. I think it's time we taught them a lesson about coming into the wrong neighborhoods."
"The target is a civvie within the city perimeter." Bradford stood at the hangar's edge, pointing at a holoprojection of the town far below. Fatima Tariq nodded, studying the projection lines for deployment.
"Standard HALO insertion." So far, nothing out of the ordinary. "Just Lost?"
"That we know of. Possibly some Advent elements pursuing our contact, but we have no confirmation."
"We'll wreck them." Nothing seemed to get under Aileen's skin: not war, not death, not the prospect of jumping from ten thousand feet in the air and possibly dashing her skull against the ground. Barta Boktoa looked green, but Anne Lawrence gave her a pat on the shoulder. Templars and Skirmishers getting along! Who would have thought?
"Don't get arrogant." Bradford gave her a harsh look. "The enemy thrives on our overconfidence."
"Sir, with all due respect..." Aileen held up her shiny, sleek new plasma rifle. "I think we've got the edge. Even if there are Advent units down there, they'll never suspect we have these."
"She's got a point." Nui Tashiro checked the belt pouch with her spare power cells. "We've got the firepower. But that isn't an excuse for going sloppy."
"Damn right." Meysam was the last member of the team, Enhanced Shadowkeeper on his belt. The Serpent Suit's internal motors whirred and twisted as he moved to get a better look at the projection. "Looks like they're holed up in that apartment complex by the lake."
"Hopefully, they stay there until you arrive." Bradford nodded toward the far side of the chamber, and Janet Ross reached for the hangar open switch. "Once you secure the target, activate your recovery beacon. We'll swing in over the water and drop lines. Might be a bit rough, but we can get you out of there. If Advent had a serious presence in the area, I wouldn't even consider it, but I doubt there's enough enemy firepower to threaten the Avenger in a Lost swarm."
"Logical." Fatima slid her helmet into place. "Alright, team. Let's go!"
My team. What a strange concept. Fatima was no leader–that was Chilong, or maybe Annette. But with them...
Said. Even her brother was just the tip of her iceberg of mourning. Fatima had lost everything when the aliens took her prisoner...and then lost it again when Vahlen's base went up in flames.
Now I'm all that's left. Somehow, I became the grizzled veteran everyone treats with reverence. What would the seventeen-year-old Malin Larsen had pulled from an alien stasis pod under fire from thin men have thought of that?
Bradford was still talking. He did a lot of talking, so Fatima tuned him out. She took up position near the hangar doors, and slowly her team filtered in around her. Barta the Skirmisher, Anne the Templar, Meysam and Aileen and Nui...
They weren't her team. They weren't the other Furies, they weren't Annette and Zhang and Marcel. Could Fatima trust them to cover her back?
Maybe. Maybe not. The world would never be the same again, and neither would she.
But, she thought as the hangar door hissed open, gradually drawing a line of sunlight on her face, the least I can do is show them how a real soldier carries herself.
Armed with that thought and followed by her team, Tisiphone marched into open air.
Author's Note Seventy-one: Don't You Dare Count Me Out
Hi. I'm back.
I'm not going to bore you with the play-by-play of everything that's happened to me since I last posted. To be honest, I'm not sure you would believe me if I did. To cut a long, painful, convoluted story short: my uncle nearly ruined my father by embezzling his company(business partners), I lost my job(because I was working for that same company which is now dead), my writing mentor officially declined to take me on as an agenting client(though she remains a close friend and ally), and on top of everything else I had several long trips, a motherlode of car problems, and the test for my third-degree black belt. However, I did publish an actual novel, so I got that going for me, which is nice. If you're interested, check my profile page for more information(please?).
As a note, I'm not promising I'll be able to return to the normal update schedule. I'm not even prepared to commit to finishing Season Three in a straight shot. I can commit to approximately ten chapters, leaving off at a natural pause point for a midseason break–If I'm in the zone, I'll keep going, but again, I won't promise that.
Okay, now I'm going to dive back in and try to get a buffer written up. Hopefully I can maintain the two chapters a week schedule, but right now I'll settle for just getting material out. Don't be surprised if you don't see anything from me for another week or so, but I am back. Back from the dead tonight...
Vigilo Confido.