'TB6 control this is the Thunderbird combined vehicle requesting a launch window,' JJ spoke in a neutral tone over the com. 'We need to be ground side ASAP.'

'Window in thirty seconds on my mark,' a soft female voice answered. 'We can see the smoke from here. I hope you can save some of that virgin forest for future generations, Captain. Mark.'

'Countdown commenced,' JJ returned, 'and we aim to please. Let us know if you can see the regrowth the next time we dock.'

'Will do, TB6 control out,' she signed off.

Even over the radio waves JJ could tell the woman smiled at his benign banter. He needed the harmless conversation more than he'd realised. Tension mounting, the four man crew felt particularly fatigued after the mission they'd just completed.

No less affected, Grant sighed. The last thing he needed was more internal dissention within his small team now they were so close to home. With Kallan on the ground the senior pilot knew it could go either way. No one had dared mention her name since the bust up four days previously. So far Jesse and Dylan spoke only when spoken too. The former seemed lost in thought while the latter barely held his self-directed disappointment internalised. Both young men blamed themselves for Kallan's desertion.

They'd chosen opposite watches and avoided each other while awake at the same time. It made the atmosphere in the TB 17 almost stifling for the first leg of their long range mission. The second day became far too busy rescuing personnel from Dione Station. Pulverised by the meteor, it had taken all of their strength and tenacity to affect a somewhat positive outcome. Still three bodies had been delivered to the medical centre aboard TB6 along with two more critical personnel still fighting for their lives. Professional to a fault, Jesse and Dylan interacted seamlessly on the job, just as Grant knew they would under rescue conditions. He didn't need to speak with either of them about their previous behaviour.

Dylan acted as their stand in medic due to Kallan's absence. It almost doubled his workload. Catching sleep when he could, the young man now appeared haggard as well as downcast. Grant knew he had more on his mind than just the victims from the station. As the team dropped the injured at the sick bay aboard TB6, the mayday call came in. The relief on both Jesse and Dylan faces at their female teammate's voice spoke volumes.

'Computing trajectory to the Amazon basin,' Jesse announced into the sudden silence that encompassed the combined vehicles cockpit.

'Grant,' Dylan gained the senior's attention, 'I'm going to move into TB1 and get the foam bombs ready for launch. I'll also move the freezer bombs to stand ready mode.'

'Roger that,' Grant nodded while crossing his arms. 'Let's just hope we don't need to use the freezers. The loss of animal life will be devastating. I'm for TB3,' he announced to the remaining crew. Within a few seconds both men were at the helm of their machines.

'Dylan,' Grant began to give orders and feeling more in charge, 'disengage TB1 once we hit the atmosphere. I want you to get those bombs away as quickly as possible. The more time we waste the greater chance of loss of life.'

'Kallan's down there, Grant,' Dylan really didn't need to remind the man as his fear for her clearly evident in his tone.

'So,' Kallan's voice echoed over the radio, 'are about three thousand native people of the Warua. Take your time and make those bombs hit the target, Dylan. Grant, I'm leaving the com hut to head up the evac at this location.'

'Roger that Kallan, but standby on a portable,' Grant sighed. He'd missed the stabilising influence of the only female team member. 'Georgetown?'

'Hearing you,' the woman came back on the line. 'I'm sending a topographical map of the affected area overlayed with current populations to you now. The main front is heading directly for the village at Captain James location. The fire is being driven by winds which climate control on TB6 is hoping to decrease. They're moving the weather satellite into position as we speak.'

'Received,' Grant acknowledged. With a glance he knew this would take all of their resources to get under control before life would be lost. He could only imagine the amount of native flora and fauna that suffered.

'TB1 will be first on scene. Dylan, compute the best location for those bombs and send the report to Georgetown,' Grant ordered.

'On it, Chief,' Dylan stated, his mind already taking in the map on his secondary screen.

'The rest of the team will be a few minutes behind, Georgetown, Thunderbirds out,' he signed off. 'Jesse and JJ,' Grant opened a channel for his crew, 'I want you to stay high in TB2. Do a visual inspection to ensure this is the only fire front in the area. I don't want to miss any embers igniting in front of the main fire. Drop TB3 at the river's edge slightly south of the populated area so I can load the villagers safely.'

'Kallan,' Grant returned to the com unit, hoping he'd catch her before she became too engrossed in the evacuation effort.

'Here Grant,' she answered. Captain James's training kicked in. Something in Grant's tone earlier told her to hang on. Waiting for her orders, she stayed close to the communication hut.

'Did you get that?' he asked.

'Roger, Chief. I don't have a portable so the minute I leave the coms hut, I incommunicado,' she stated with a wary sigh.

'Make you way to the river and be ready to board the civilians on my mark,' Grant ordered.

'Roger, Chief,' she grinned, feeling elated to once again be part of the team. 'I've only got one question, you got a spare uniform,' Kallan asked with her usual cheeky bravado.

'Afraid you're still technically on leave, Captain,' Grant managed to convey his smile over the air waves. 'But I'm sure Dylan wouldn't mind a hand getting his bird home once we have the villages to safety. I'm not sure he's capable of handling anything on his own at the moment.'

'Georgetown Station to Thunderbird Senior Captain,' the voice from Georgetown chimed in. She'd given Grant enough time to analyse the data she'd sent and now need further instructions. 'Do you need local units to deploy?'

'We can see the fire from space,' Grant informed, ensuring the visual checked out with the map on his secondary monitor. 'You'll need to mobilise all the firefighting units in your region for a mop up operation. We'll try to contain the main front and keep you informed of our progress. If we have enough hardware aboard, we'll aid in the clean up. Hanson out.'

The com unit in Captain James's hand went silent. What ever happened in the aerial fight didn't concern Kallan at this moment in time. She needed to be on the ground, supporting the evacuation effort. Leaving the shack, she found the village slightly calmer as the three young men started to organise the withdrawal. Panicked people surrounded her but they appeared to be a little more organised.

'You're a Thunderbird Captain,' the young man who'd moved to let her take over asked, clearly astonished. The media intruded into the lives of the villagers. Even in their supposed isolation they'd all heard of the Thunderbird team.

'Yes,' Kallan agreed easily slipping into her role. 'Let's move. I want everyone down at the water front in five minutes. The Thunderbirds will be here soon to rescue us. We need to be ready. Can you tell me how many other villages there are in this area?'

'One upriver, two downriver,' the young man answered, 'but a fire has never reached all four. Usually we move to the furthest point,' he indicated the upriver village. 'It's half a day's paddle.'

Nodding, Kallan calculated Grant would need to transfer a minimum of three thousand bodies along a two hundred kilometres stretch of the Amazon. TB3 wouldn't accommodate that many people in a single trip. He'd be forced to link with TB2 and decant this group to safety before moving further downriver for the next village.

At her impatient wave, the Waura scattered, obeying her orders. Kallan felt her spirits rise as her adrenalin started to pump through her body. She'd been born to do this. Heart racing her mind became sharp and focused. In the midst of this carnage, the smell of smoke hanging heavy over the village, the anguished cries of people and animals alike, she'd come to the sudden understanding.

'I've triangulated,' Captain Kallan James mentally realised. 'I've used Jesse and Dylan as points for validating my internal strength and verifying my emotions. I'm no longer constrained by the past or others actions in it. This current moment represents what I have become. My future is waiting for me and I'm no longer afraid to face it.'

Smiling, Kallan wanted to shout, 'I'm a Thunderbird first and always. My mission in life is to save others and I'm happy. I don't need a man or any other controlling influence to be me.'

Hurrying to the river, she checked every hut along the way. Closing each door ensured Captain James knew where she'd been. The last person to the reach the edge of the river, she sighted TB3 disengaging from its parent craft. The splash it made in the water generated several sets of waves which lapped the banks of the Amazon River. Ninety tones of metal crept towards land across the flow of the water, finally the tracks found earth beneath them. Digging in, Grant manoeuvred the monstrosity onto land.

'Hurry,' Kallan lead the way as Captain Hanson let down the ramp.

At the top of the slop Captain James could see TB1 circling and her heart leached with pleasure. The flames were within five kilometres of the village. She could see the orange/red glow on the horizon through the smoke. A dense grey cloud had descended on them, becoming thicker with each passing minute. Kallan almost expected to see embers circling into the air, waiting to find something to catch and start the fire anew.

Dylan let go of a set of foam bombs as he came over the top of Grant's vehicle at a low angle and close to the ground. The last person crossing into TB3's hold heard the torpedos hit and felt the shockwave. From the lack of smoke behind the main front, not the first set. He seemed to be successful as the plume substantially decreased in diameter almost immediately. It didn't seem as thick although the smell of charred wood filled the air. Looking down at her clothing the lavender shirt, covered with grey ash, took on a strange hue as the sun broke through the plume. Her pants sooty, Kallan doubted even the cleaner at Acrology would be able to get the stains out.

When the last person cleared the internal aperture, Kallan retracted the ramp. Closing the door, she directed the villagers to sit along the walls. Increasing the oxygen content of the room by two percent, anyone with breathing difficulties, especially the young, would benefit. Smoke and ash must have invaded everyone's lungs. Taking a few seconds to talk to the young man from the communications hut, she finally found her way to the cockpit.

'Grant,' she smiled, slipping into the co-pilots seat.

'It's good to have you back, Kallan,' Grant acknowledged. Returning his attention to the screen before him, he connected to TB2.

'Let me,' Kallan smiled, use to being in control of communications. 'TB2, this is Captain James aboard TB3. We are ready for pick up.'

'Roger, Kallan, pick up in fifty seconds,' JJ stated with an odd inflection in his voice. If she had to guess, Captain James would have bet her teammate was happy to hear from her.

'No need,' Dylan chimed in, 'that's the last of the foam bombs. This front is out. Georgetown units are on the ground mopping up. Grant you can return the villages when we have the all clear from TB6.'

'We'll keep them for a while,' Grant observed. Indicating his co-pilot should go and see to their guests.

'Georgetown,' Kallan connected to the IRO's major South American Base before following orders, 'this is the Thunderbird team awaiting official stand down.'

'Hold,' the same woman commented. 'Fire control on TB6 has detected another area of concern. I'm sending the coordinates to TB1. Captain Beyda, could you report please.'

The minutes ticked by as Dylan reached the area, followed by Jesse and JJ. Both TB1 and TB2 circled the area, observing the ground crews clean up the secondary fire. It took another hour for Georgetown to stand down and the fire control on TB6 to declare the mission a success.

'So are you staying to help the villagers with the clean up?' Grant asked. When Kallan looked at him with confusion, he added, 'you still officially have three days leave, Captain.'

'I think it's time I came back to work,' she spoke softly but with determination.

Nodding his understanding, Grant watched Kallan go to inform the Villagers. They quickly collected their belongings and left TB3, but not before offering their perfuse thanks for her help. Settling back into the co-pilots chair, Kallan sighed contentedly. A group collected at a safe distance with the intention of waving goodbye. A few minutes later, JJ connected TB3 to the main vehicle and they were away, back to Acrology and home. Almost immediately Captain James felt her chair move to join the rest of her team in the main cabin.

'Set a course for Acrology,' Grant ordered, unable to keep the smile of his face. As tired as he felt, it felt good to have a complete complement on-board.

'And turn up the air recyclers,' JJ held his nose in mock displeasure. 'You sure picked up a unique sent on your travels, Kallan. Remind me not to holiday in South America.'

Happy to be back with her team, Captain James didn't comment with one of her usual sassy retorts. She noticed neither Dylan nor Jesse rose to the bait either. Both seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. Not sure what to make of the silence that descended, Kallan smile politely but felt uneasy. Obviously the issues existing before her holiday continued to be a problem, one she'd face at another time. Everyone looked exhausted.

'Well team,' Commander Simpson appeared on the main screen, 'it looks like you found your missing member. Captain James, once you've cleaned up, I'd like to see you.'

'Yes, Sir,' Kallan saluted from her couch.

'Even the Commander,' JJ tried his teasing once again, 'can smell you from here.'

'Hey,' Kallan finally returned his jovial banter, 'it could be worse. You might have been picking up flame grilled Captain. Just imagine how that would have offended your delicate olfactory senses.'

'That,' JJ answered for the rest of the team, 'is something none of us really want to think about Kallan. I'm glad your back.'

Overjoyed at the serious response, Kallan's heart sang. She'd found her place. This, sitting in the combined vehicle represented her future. 'I'm home,' she muttered under her breath, 'and never intend to leave again. No matter what the future brings, these people surrounding me are my family.'