The three Rebels materialised back in the Liberators teleport bay with an electronic buzz. Jenna gave them a relieved expression as they appeared, and Blake stepped down from the teleport.
''Well, that was close'' he breathed with a sigh before turning to the others. ''Cally, how's Avon?''
Cally, who had been knelt beside Avon as they teleported up, looked round in alarm. ''Blake? Avon! He... he's disappeared!''
Spinning round in alarm, Blake noticed for the first time that he was missing. ''What happened?'' he queried ''Where is he?''
When Cally could offer no explanation just a wordless shrug, her eyes reflecting the same worry as his own, Blake turned back to the liberators pilot. ''Jenna?''
''I don't know'' she replied, trying again to bring him up. ''There's no contact, could he have lost his bracelet?''
Blake shook his head. ''No. He still had it, I checked.'' Then his face hardened into a mask of determination and he stepped back into the teleport. ''Send me back down.''
''And me'' Cally added, stepping up beside him.
Jenna looked down at the controls, fiddling with a few switches before she replied. ''I'm sorry Blake I can't'' she explained, ''there's too much interference. We were lucky to get you three out at all.''
''Then put me down outside!''
At that moment Vila spoke up wretchedly from beside them. ''Look, believe me, I don't like the idea of leaving Avon down there any more than you do, but the whole base'll be swarming with troopers by now, you'll never get in! Isn't there another way?''
''I wasn't asking you to come with me Vila!'' Blake snapped, more sharply than he had intended, and the thief shrank back.
''I can't believe I'm saying this Blake'' Jenna uttered ''but Vila's right. You wouldn't even get near him.''
Before Blake could respond the whole deck lurched, throwing the crew to the floor.
''What the hell was that!'' he shouted instead, struggling back to his feet.
The question had been directed at no one in particular but Orac, resting on the nearby console, answered. ''Six federation pursuit ships have approached the Liberator from the planet's surface'' he intoned. ''An attack has been launched.''
''We need to get up to the flight deck'' Jenna declared, suddenly looking worried but Blake didn't respond, indecision written all over his features. ''Blake!''
''Three more ships are now also approaching'' Orac piped up from behind them, bringing the total up to nine, possibly more on the way. There was no way they could fight off that many at their current power.
''All right'' Blake ground out reluctantly as another strike rocked the ship. ''But we'll come back the moment there's a chance. Come on.''
The attack was already well underway when they reached the flight deck, hurrying to their usual positions. The nine Federation ships worked expertly together, as if to a previously agreed plan, but they did not appear to be attempting the Liberators destruction, merely to drive it away from Pralix. There was nothing that the rebels could do but retreat further and further out into open space until the ships gave up pursuit. After that the pursuit ships had retreated slightly back towards the planet but remained as a constant patrol, preventing the Liberator from re-entering local space. Instead, Blake had kept her nearby but out of detector range, impatiently monitoring the situation in frustration as he waited for any opportunity to go back, or for Orac to pick up any news of Avon. They had been there almost 36 hours before he received the latter. They all listened as Orac relaid the message.
''Base attacked by rebels but attack successfully repelled. One taken prisoner. Has been sent to zone D for immediate interrogation.''
Blake frowned, all too aware of what Federation 'interrogation' entailed. ''Zone D?'' he questioned, unfamiliar with its presence from when he had studied the base's schematics. ''Where's that, is it on the base?''
''You are quite capable of checking the schematics yourself.'' Orac pointed out impatiently. ''I am busy.''
Blake, however, was in no mood for Orac's impertinence. ''Now Orac!'' he snapped.
''Oh, very well.'' the computer conceded huffily. ''It is another, smaller complex several km North of the main base and thus outside the energy barrier.''
''You mean we could just teleport in?'' That was Cally's voice as she came to stand beside Blake.
''That is what I said'' the computer responded loftily. ''Only the main computer complex is protected by the field. Clearly interrogation facilities lie outside this area.''
''Good'' Blake replied thoughtfully before turning to Jenna. ''Any news on those ships?''
''Actually, yes'' Jenna informed him, slightly surprised. ''According to this they started to
disperse just a few hours ago. If they carry on like this, in less than one, the way should be clear.''
Blake looked surprised. Could it be that simple? ''Then now's our chance!'' he decided in an instant. ''Zen, set a course back to Pralix, standard by six.''
''CONFIRMED'' the computer replied, cold and efficient.
They would be there soon then, in just under two hours, Zen informed him when asked. Two hours too many as far as Blake was concerned.
''Hold on Avon'' he muttered quietly under his breath as the Liberator sped towards its destination, willing her to go faster. 'We'll be there soon, just hold on.''
One- and three-quarter hours later
The loud buzz of the teleport beam filled the air for a moment before Blake, Cally and Jenna materialised. Orac's coordinates had put them down in a dark, rarely used store room near the edge of the zone D complex and, as hoped, there was no one in sight. Vila had stayed on board the Liberator to man the teleport, and to keep away from danger, but luckily the door was unlocked. Orac had infiltrated the security system before they arrived and located the code for the cell doors, so that at least should not prove a problem. Opening it a crack, Cally peered out into the corridor before turning to the others.
''It's all clear'' she told them, keeping her voice low so as not to attract attention.
''Good'' Blake nodded, stepping past her and out into the open hall. ''According to Orac the cells and interrogation rooms are that way.'' he pointed left down the passageway ''come on.''
They made their way hurriedly through the base, having to duck out of sight a few times down minor side passages to avoid being seen by guards and personnel. When they came to another junction Blake stopped, the others following suit.
''Right, this is it, cells and interrogation'' he observed, remembering Orac' map. ''Jenna, Cally you take the right tunnel, I'll take the left. Avon has to be here somewhere; we just need to find him.''
Jenna nodded. ''All right but keep in touch, we don't want to lose anyone else in here.''
Blake agreed and they split up, keeping a careful eye out for anyone on the base who might raise the alarm.
The corridor felt grim and cold, but it was not just the slight chill in the air, it was everything about it. The white colourless walls, the sharp chemical smell of disinfectant, not quite covering the bitter scent of fear beneath, and, of course, the locked metal doors lining the length of the wall. This was a large base and although incarceration and torture may not have been its specialty there was certainly ample facilities, and they were probably frequently used. There seemed to be very few people about though, which was somewhat surprising.
Blake knew he could not open every cell, there simply would not be the time, but luckily there were small rectangular slits in each, just large enough to see inside. As he made his way along the twenty or thirty doors many of them were empty but some did hold prisoners. Most were in a sorry state, men and women both, bowed and broken by the federation torture they had endured. Blake thought about letting them go, horrified at the idea of leaving anyone in those conditions, but it would take far too long and that was not why they were here. He needed to find Avon.
When Blake finally came to the last door and peered inside, he found it too was empty. There had been no sign of Avon, could Jenna and Cally have found him? He was about to contact them to find out, after all Jenna had said to keep in touch, but then he remembered the message, 'Prisoner sent to Zone D for immediate interrogation'. If he was not in a cell then there was one obvious place to look, whatever passed for interrogation facilities in this federation complex. He hurried down the corridor, looking both ways at the end as he tried to recall the layout. He had to duck back out of sight as a man walked past wearing a dark Federation uniform, the uniform of a torturer, Blake guessed, and had to fight back the urge to confront him, memories of his likely victims filtering across his mind. When the man had gone, Blake chose to follow the direction from which he had come, hoping it led to the interrogation cells. It did.
There were three in all, the first two he checked both dark and empty but there was a gloomy, sinister light shining through the small slit in the door of the third. He keyed in Orac's code, waited a second for the door to slide obediently open and then stepped briskly inside.
It felt as though the temperature dropped about five degrees as he entered, the crisp coolness of the corridors turning to a frigid chill, presumably just one more finishing touch to make the prisoners as uncomfortable as possible. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the cell's dim light after the brightness outside but even then, there was no mistaking the man slumped still and unmoving before him, strapped securely to a solid metal chair at the centre of the room. It was Avon. Other than him the room was bare, apart from a small table against one wall, no doubt used to hold whatever tools the federation torturers required for 'interrogation'.
Blake rushed forward, ready to strap on a teleport bracelet and get him away from there, back to safety, back up to the medical bay onboard the liberator, but as he touched Avon's wrist, trying to release the restraints, he froze. His friend's skin was ice cold beneath his touch, no warmth or body heat at all. Now Blakes eyes had adjusted he could see the scene more clearly and his stomach began to churn. Avon was deathly still, skin pale and eyes closed, signs of his torture plainly evident from a glance. Raising a shaking hand to his neck Blake tried in vain to find a pulse, any sign he was not too late but there was nothing but the feeling of cold skin beneath his fingers. He had come too late, Avon was dead.
For a moment the world seemed to stop, a numbing sense of shock creeping over him as he stared in horror at his friend. Yet another senseless death at the hands of the Federation... but it had not been the federation who had forced him down to this planet on this badly thought out, ill-fated plan. A plan Avon had been totally against from the start. The shock did not last long though, soon it was replaced by a crushing sense of guilt. Blake should never have left him! He should have gone back strait away, whatever the risk! They had had him for almost forty hours, torturing him, tormenting him, and Blake had let them! He tried not to think about what they could have done to him but then he remembered it was his fault, he did not deserve to be spared, and so he forced himself to. There was an incessant buzz from his wrist communicator but he ignored it, hardly noticing, until he heard Cally's voice from the open door behind him.
''Blake are you allright?'' she asked, sounding worried. ''We were calling you and...'' her voice trailed off abruptly as her eyes adjusted and she took in the scene before her, ''...no.''
''What is it?'' Jenna asked urgently, stepping up beside her and noting the pained tone to Cally's voice. Then she also looked inside.
When Blake turned around, any small doubt they held as to Avon's fate was gone. Grief, anger and guilt were etched into his usually optimistic face like a mask, each vying for place.
His grief was reflected back in Cally's eyes, shining with a sorrow of her own, pure and unashamed in the way of an Auronar facing the death of someone they cared deeply about.
''Avon...'' she whispered softly.
Jenna, easily the least affected by the scene spoke up in urgent, practical tones. ''Blake, come on, leave him, if he's dead it's over. The guards saw me and Cally just before we found you and raised the alarm, we need to get out of here before they find us.''
''No'' Blake told her simply his low voice, though quiet, holding uncharacteristic fury and hatred, though weather directed at the Federation or himself she could not say. Knowing Blake, it was probably both.
''Blake don't be stupid'' Jenna protested, ''it's not worth it! The guards will be here any minute!''
Though sensible, Jenna's words had very little effect on the demonstrable rebel leader.
''No!'' he said again, louder this time. ''I won't just leave him here Jenna, not like this, not to those Federation murderers!''
He practically spat the last few words and Cally stepped forward, placing a calming hand on his arm.
''Blake, Jenna is right, we must leave now'' Cally agreed, her voice was gentle but firm as she spoke. ''But I agree, we should not leave Avon here. We can take him back with us and give him a proper burial once we're safe.''
Suddenly, Jenna swung the door shut, melting the locking panel from the inside with her hand gun, and moments later there was a sound like someone trying to break in from the other side. ''That's it'' she interjected, the time for talking over. ''Whatever we're doing we need to go now! Their already outside, and it won't take them long to break in.''
At that thought Blake got furiously to his feet, shaking off Cally's reassuring hand and drawing his hand gun, a murderous glint in his eyes. ''Good, let them.''
''Blake!'' Jenna shouted, frustration eident in her voice.
Blake was angry, furious at the way Avon had been treated, and right then he would happily have staid and killed every last trooper he could that was even remotely responsible. Cally could understand but she sensed things could easily get out of hand.
''Jenna, take Blake back to the liberator, now'' she urged, then knelt down beside Avon herself, gently starting to remove his restraints.
''What about you?'' Jenna questioned, though she understood the wisdom of removing the overly emotional Blake from the situation.
''I will follow in just a moment... With Avon. Now go!''
Blake turned round, about to protest, but before he could Jenna had contacted Vila on the ship requesting immediate teleport and a white line formed around them before they suddenly disappeared.
As soon as they were gone Cally turned swiftly back to her task, removing the metal restraints and clipping a teleport bracelet around Avon's wrist. She would grieve later but first, she had things to do.
For once, Vila had managed to stay awake and alert while on teleport duty, anxious to see how the mission had gone. The moment he heard Jenna's urgent request for teleport he reacted quickly, activating the beam to bring her and Blake back aboard.
''Blake, what happened?'' he asked immediately, eager to hear how things had gone down below. ''Did you find Avon? I hope you did because...''
His rambling voice faltered and trailed off as he caught the look in Blake's eyes.
''We found him'' he ground out darkly, a barely supressed fury hiding beneath those three cold words, and Vila took an involuntary step back.
Jenna tried to speak, to put a restraining hand on his arm but he pulled angrily away, striding silently from the teleport bay without another word.
Confused, and somewhat alarmed the thief turned to Jenna. ''What's the matter with him? I mean, what happened down there? And where's Cally... and Avon? They can't be fighting already surely.''
She shook her head slightly, glancing after Blake. ''No, we were too late.''
''Too late?'' Vila questioned, suddenly quiet and worried. ''you don't mean...''He trailed off again, not wanting to ask. That couldn't be right, surely. You couldn't kill Avon, he just wasn't the type, he looked out for himself too much, kind of like Vila in a way. He couldn't be dead... but Jenna's reply confirmed it.
''Avon was already dead when we got there. Cally will be following any second with his body.''
For a moment Vila just stared, shocked by the news, and by how much it bothered him. After all, he and Avon had never been friends, had they? But still...
The silence was suddenly broken by Cally's voice asking to come up and Vila jumped. Seeing he was slow to respond, Jenna took over the teleport instead, Cally's image shimmering for a moment before seconds later materialising in the bay, eyes glistening and Avon's body held gently in her arms as she sat on the ground beside him.