2
The klaxons were sounding and the sound of pounding boots made Ianto look up from his files to find one of his men slamming into the room "Sir… the high flares are starting over in the valley."
"What?" Ianto rise with alarm "They are not due for another three days, the usual flares are not de to start for… awww… fuck.. we have a rogue set."
"Why the evac is not completed"
"Shit" Ianto rose from his chair with horror, joining those running for the evac ships and he clambered into the pilot's seat, slapping at buttons and levers as his crew got in, both surprised and relieved to find him in charge as he did not flu much anymore. Gave too much away.
Ianto took off, the ship rising majestically to skim across the surface of the planet as Ianto deployed the main shields that would hopefully cocoon those within for the massive heat waves now slamming into the planet so hard they were like sonic waves. Red dust rising as small dust devils.
A ship to their left went down, hitting the dirt and spiraling out of sight as Ianto cursed and his co-pilot raided back that one was down. They were OK, needed an evac themselves but hull intact.
"They better be there" Ianto answered, fighting the controls as they neared the colony and he landed without fanfare or double checks, unlocking his harness to run for the bay doors as he pulled people back, then took a deep breath before opening the doors.
The heat was like a physical assault, his skin drying, his lips chapping and his hair starting to curl as people ran in their protective gear for his ship, others landing to scoop as well. Ianto helped the first one on and then returned, as those flight crew now in survival gear of their own could take over and he staggered back to the pilot's seat, snatching up a bottle of water to drink and pour some over his head.
"Capacity" someone called out and he heard the blast doors humming closed, the heat receding as the air con blasted as much cool air as it could to counteract the heat. He flew like the wind as the heat filled the vessel despite the cool jets trying to keep the space at least survivable. He slammed into the airlock and the vessel slid across the landing pad to hit the far wall, Ianto beyond mad as he struggled from the captain chair's straps and he staggered back to find the bodies on the floor of the vessel being slathered in precious water as some moaned, screamed and the unfortunate ones simply lay there melting into the grating.
"FUCK!" Ianto roared with rage as he looked around "What the fuck happened! Where were the emergency shields!"
"The shields failed" someone croaked from nearby, unable to tell if it was make or female, the skin so blistered and red that it looked like they had been boiled in a vat of fat. "If not for the captain, we would all have perished."
"The Captain?" Ianto looked around the bodies and someone pointed a shaky finger at one in the corner. He was being tended to by three medics including Owen as he groaned and writhed with pain, the poor man suffering and Ianto knelt by him reaching out to touch and to his relief he found the skin not at boiling point. "You're not boiling."
"Boeshanninan" the man croaked as he choked on the water being poured over him "Thick skin!"
"Well, that skin saved your life Captain" Ianto said as he patted his leg and looked around "Seems many more."
"Jack" the man rasped, "Jack."
"OK Jack… rest. You did your duty… rest"
.
.
"How bad is it?"
"He'll live. Not lying about that Boeshane blood… he's healing at an amazing rate, might not even scar" Owen replied as he turned to look at Ianto who nodded. At least that will be something. "Want the numbers?"
"I guess so… not really" Ianto tipped his hat back and screwed his face up as Owen grinned then sobered as he answered.
"Eighteen dead, fifty three survivable and five will be gone over the next few hours with the depth of their radiation" Owen tuned to look at the man in the tank of water, floating in front of them with breathing apparatus over his face, the waters and their healing powers helping Jack Harkness recover from the radiation burns.
"There was a family… with him. She perished… the kids too. Last name was Harkness like his." Owen said like it was a throw away comment and Ianto blanched. "Oh… one survived."
"How bad?"
"Not… just a little bit so… she's in the crèche."
"A girl? A child?" Ianto turned to him and Owen grinned as he knew damned well why Ianto had reacted like that.
"Yeah."
.
.
Ianto stood looking at the little one, no more than two years if she was a day. Her dark hair flicked back off her face and the sweet cupid bow's mouth downturned as she tried not to cry. The nurse cleaning the burn on her leg was crooning but it was clear the little girl was not amused.
"His daughter?" Ianto asked a crewmember standing nearby with Boeshane patches on his sleeves.
"Niece" came the reply "His brother fell in battle and the widow and her kids came to him. Poor little things… didn't stand a chance. He had that one inside his jacket, shielded her as best he could."
Ianto nodded knowing that pain as he had watched his own sister and children die two years ago… gods, most likely when that little one was born.
This man was clearly better than him… he had saved one.
If only Mica or David could have survived too.
