IDChapter26

Koschei was furious. Not only had he lost Isana's affection, now she was actually questioning his loyalty. It was all because of that damned Jack Harkness. Everything was fine before he showed up. Well, maybe not everything, Isana did manage to get herself caught by those slave traders. Thing is, with his contacts, he could have gotten her back. In fact he was in the process of negotiating her release when this "Captain" Jack Harkness showed up and rescued her, but not before her captors had inflicted some damage to her beautiful face. He would definitely have exacted revenge for that, but of course the Captain took care of that as well. The ship that she and the other captives had been held on was destroyed utterly, beyond recognition even. The man was thorough, he had to give him that.

Now Isana was questioning him closely about his intelligence contacts. He had to admit to her that he did have some contacts within the Shadow Proclamation, and he did occasionally give them intel to keep them off the Underground Railroad's back. There, he'd done it. It actually felt kind of good to admit it, he didn't like keeping secrets from her. But she didn't understand. How could he do such a thing? How could she ever trust him again?

"Trust me?" He'd sputtered. "What about you? Talking to these aliens alone, insisting that I not participate, refusing to discuss your conversations with me! ME, your second -in-command! How do you think that makes me feel, how do you think it makes me look to everyone else?" He got up from his seat across the table from her and started pacing back and forth. "Everything I've done has been for you, to keep you happy, to keep you safe. Do you think I want to be stuck here in this cave when you and I could be married and living a proper life?"

He stopped his pacing and came around to her side of the table. Turning her chair so she faced him, he knelt, taking her hands in his and pleaded, "Isana, please, come away with me. I have some money saved up, we can settle down in a nice quiet place where no one knows us, with my father's influence we can keep your ancestry hidden, and we can be productive members of society instead of vagabonds."

"Koschei, my dear, sweet Koschei." Isana shook her head and squeezed his hands. "I can't go on letting my people suffer. Not when I can do something about it. Besides, I told you, I don't want that life. I'm just not cut out for it. I'm not the right woman for you, you deserve so much better."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that? It isn't that at all, and you know it. You and I were inseparable until he came along." She knew Koschei meant Jack. "Now he's here and suddenly you don't trust me, even though I've kept us safe all these years. All because of a man who doesn't even exist! Yes, I've looked into it! Do you know what kind of power, influence, and money it takes to wipe records that completely? Isana," Koschei changed tactics, seeing that he wasn't making any headway with her, " Look at all the good you've done so far, at all the people you've saved. Don't you think it's time you got out, before you get caught again? If this Captain Jack fellow is so committed to your cause, why don't you let him take over and give yourself a life? Why not enjoy a life of freedom instead of living in fear?"

"I will always live in fear, as long as my people are persecuted. Can't you see that, Koschei? I can't just run away and hide from what I am. And I won't ask you to stay here, either. Koschei, I love you as a friend, but that is all. You want a normal life, that much is clear. Go out and have one! There's no need for you to stay and protect me, I can take care of myself. Please, if a normal life is what you want, then go with my blessing. You'll make a wonderful husband for some lucky girl out there."

Koschei looked at Isana for several long moments before he spoke. When he did, his eyes and his voice were cold.

"As you wish."

He stood, turned on his heel, and stalked out of the room, closing the door behind him without so much as a backward glance. Isana turned and leaned with her elbows on the table, cupped her face in her hands, and let out a huge sigh of relief. For just a moment, looking into his cold eyes, she had been afraid of him. She sat there for several more minutes, composing herself, before leaving and heading for her room. She waved the guard away.

"I'm alright, go get some sleep, and thank you."

As she walked along the tunnel toward her room, she became conscious of a pair of eyes on her. She stopped in her tracks.

"You can come out now, Jack."

He emerged from the shadows smiling, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

"I saw him leave, he didn't look happy."

"No, he isn't. Did he take anything with him?"

"Just his duffel bag, as far as I could tell. Should I have stopped him? I can send someone after him."

"No." she answered. "He's been insulted enough. Let's just let him go."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Neither am I," Isana replied, "but he's been a part of the Underground Railroad since the beginning. I have to believe he'd never deliberately harm us."

Jack put his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head. "I sure hope you're right."

The following morning around the breakfast table Jon, Rose, Jack, and Isana discussed the next step, which they all agreed would be getting the Time Lord family situated in their own home.

"First things first," Jack was saying, "We need financing, so I think Jon and I need to go on a little trip together to visit my friend the Krillitane Esteemed Father."

"Agreed. While Jack and I are doing that, Rose, why don't you see what we can do to help these people technologically? There are probably ways we can make their defenses and other systems more efficient."

"Sounds like a plan. Arianna, would you like to spend some more time with your friend Alia?" Rose asked.

"I can't, they're gone." Arianna stated matter-of-factly.

"What? When did this happen?"

"Last night, apparently when Koschei left, they packed up and left after he did." Isana answered.

Jon pricked his ears. "Why did Koschei leave?" He asked.

"Isana made it clear to him that he had no future with her." Jack informed him. "I guess Daneth and his family were really just here to keep Koschei company or something."

"They were responsible for Housekeeping." Isana said firmly, "and they did a good job of it. Now we'll have to find someone to take those duties over."

"I can help." Rose volunteered.

"Thank you!" Isana smiled warmly, "But won't you be busy inspecting the systems?"

Rose shrugged. "Can't do that all day, I'm sure I'm gonna have to wait for parts or something somewhere along the line. Might as well make myself useful. Arianna can help, too."

Ariainna looked at her Mum. "And what will I do?" She asked cheekily, "Be the dust mop?"

"As a matter of fact your short stature does lend itself to getting the dust bunnies out from under the furniture – but I'm sure we can find you a little vacuum or something." Rose teased her daughter.

"Right then, Jack and I will be on our way. Arianna, take good care of your Mummy." Jon tousled his daughter's hair and kissed Rose while Jack likewise kissed Isana, and the two left.

Jack and Jon walked down a long, winding tunnel that led to a hidden doorway to the outside. Just before they got to the door, Jack stopped, and punching buttons on his vortex manipulator he found the stored coordinates where his ship was hidden, pulled Jon over, and hit the launch button.

They landed in some woods, where the acrid small of smoke filled their nostrils. Jack noted the direction the smoke seemed to be coming from and said, "Oh SHIT!" Taking off at a dead run, Jon barely kept up with him as they raced through the woods. Then he almost slammed into Jack as he came to a stop, Jack motioning him to wait a moment. Then Jack motioned him to follow, and the two crept carefully through the brush along an animal trail, until they could see an opening through the trees ahead. Jon brought his sonic out and scanned the area, no signs of humanoid life nearby. They peeked out of the edge of the woods and took in the scene of destruction. What had been Jack's shuttle was burned beyond recognition, nothing more than a smoldering heap.

"I had a vortex manipulator wired into her!" Jack hissed at Jon. Jon scanned the smoking wreckage again and found the elements that would be there if the vortex manipulator had burned with the shuttle.

"It burned with the ship, Jack. They didn't get it. Probably had no idea it was even there."

Jack nodded. "I had a perception filter built around it, didn't want anyone stealing it. Didn't think anyone would blow it up. I should've been more careful, damn it!"

"At least it isn't in the wrong hands, Jack. That's the most important thing. You still have the one on your wrist, so all is not lost. Speaking of which, let's get out of here!"

Jack vortexed them back to the tunnel.

"Having a ship that can vortex is essential to what I do for the UR. I'm hamstrung now!" Jack slammed his fist against the wall of the tunnel, and immediately regretted it.

"Perhaps it's just as well. The Shadows were looking for you, perhaps they think you're dead now. This could work to our advantage. Who do you think did this, anyway?"

"You know who it was as well as I do." Jack whispered flatly as he rubbed his hand, grimacing at the pain.

"There's no sign of any humanoids in the vicinity, Jack. If it was Koschei, how did he get away?" Jon asked.

"I don't know – maybe he was on board a ship, and it flew off before we came out. The ship had been burning awhile. Or maybe it was one of his 'sources'."

"Well, at any rate, we've got to regroup. Let's get our loved ones and everyone else out of here, whoever it was that blew up your ship likely knows about the base as well."