The dark vacuum of space was not a pretty sight, with its unrelenting power and vastness so great it could swallow anything and everything in its path. Yet of its few redeeming qualities, the most essential one was for that it bore the existence of life within each small, glittering sphere. Earth and Vulcan seemed to shine particularly bright on any day, and Lexa observed the glorious wonder of this chartered, yet woefully unfamiliar expanse through the glass windows of the Washington.
They were hovering near the rings of Saturn, having tracked the Romulan warship to this location. Not five minutes after they had come out of warp, Echo had found the ship hanging on the other side of Saturn. It was not long after that Lexa formed a plan, and after consulting with her officers, the crew of the USS Washington was scurrying to make the necessary preparations.
It was with great reluctance that Lexa had recalled several of her former crew members to return yesterday, and she had been surprised when most – if not all – had returned. She only wondered, as she prepared for a three-person rescue mission, whether she was leading her crew – her family – to their deaths.
"I never thought I would see this again." Lexa mused as her green eyes perused the blackness before her. Anya, who stood at her side as they armed themselves with phasers and short-range photon grenades, chuckled.
"Yea I forgot that you had been happy with retirement." Anya teased, and Lexa grinned, shoving the other woman lightly with her elbow.
"Oh shove it." She said, her eyes alit with mischief despite the danger of the mission overhanging them. "You resigned and began teaching only days after I got promoted." Anya shrugged, admitting defeat.
"True, but I do have a few more years under my belt."
"That is true." Lexa agreed as she tightened the straps of her shoulder holsters. The officers worked on assembling their gear, and then Lexa broke the comfortable silence. "I'm actually quite surprised that you agreed to do this."
The older woman, who buckled her knife around her thigh, sighed, lifting gaze to meet Lexa's. "I was too." She said. Her long fingers worked on the straps of belt, and then continued. "But then I remembered that I've always fought by your side in every mission we've ever done." She smiled wryly. "It would be bad luck not to continue that tradition."
Lexa returned the other woman's smile, and she walked over to Anya, holding out one hand. The other woman grasped it tightly, and Lexa pulled her in for a strong, bone-crushing embrace. When they parted, Lexa clasped Anya's shoulder tightly. "We started together, let's end together." Lexa said, and Anya nodded in approval.
"Our last mission." She hummed, and she squeezed the hand that still held Lexa's muscled palm. "Besides, Clarke would kill me if you did this all alone."
Lexa laughed and she flashed Anya a sheepish grin. "Yea, she can be pretty stubborn."
"She's protective of you, and I think I might have grown to like her more." Anya joked, and Lexa punched her on the bicep.
"Hey!" Both women turned to the sound at the door, Echo standing there waiting. "If you guys are done being super sentimental, we've got some prisoners to rescue." Echo crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway of the equipment room with a casual smirk.
"Okay, keep it in your pants." Anya walked up to Echo and pushed her by the shoulder, upending her balanced lean against the metal threshold.
Lexa just shook her head and followed the older woman. As she walked past Echo, she tapped her knuckles against the younger officer's bicep. "You ready for this?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." Echo answered, and Lexa nodded briefly.
"You've got more experience doing missions now, I hope I can keep up." Lexa quipped, and Echo chortled as they started down the hallway to the beaming pads.
"Please, carrying out borderline suicidal operations is your thing, I'd hate to steal your thunder." Echo joked, and Lexa laughed.
"No, Echo." She stopped and turned to face Echo. "I've been at this for eight years." She rubbed the back of her neck, and she glanced at the toes of her boots before she said her next words. "It's about time the younger people took the reins." She reached out and gripped Echo's shoulder firmly. "After this mission, I'm going to officially resign from Starfleet."
Echo's eyes widened in astonishment, her jaw dropping. When she seemed to recover from her shock, her mouth opened and closed, then her wits seemed to have collected. "Wait, really? What are you going to do then?"
"I don't know," Lexa grinned. "But it doesn't matter, as long as it keeps the soles of my boots rooted to the same soil that my daughter treads on, I won't mind what I'm to do."
"Wow." Echo said lowly. Then she moved forward, wrapping her arms around Lexa. She withdrew and looked at her longtime-friend. "Who knew you'd give up all this?" She gestured with an open hand to the ship, to the gaping openness of space.
"I wouldn't have predicted this either." Lexa said, and the sides of her eyes crinkled as she smiled again. "But more recently, I realized that the urge I had, to go out and discover, it was really because of a desire to find a home. And I've finally found it, and it's Clarke and our child."
Echo returned her smile, and she reached out and squeezed Lexa's hand gently. "Then let's get you home."
Once Lexa beamed onto the Romulan ship, phaser in hand, it was like slipping into a skin long lost, a suit of armor that she had inevitably forgotten in three years of having her feet planted firmly on the Earth's surface. It was the adrenalin, the racing of her heart as she crouched in the cargo hold. She was ready, prepared, her limbs buzzing with a nervous excitement. Echo and Anya appeared at her side within seconds, and she acknowledged their presence with a slight dip of the head as she scanned the premises.
"Admiral, their cameras should be down now." Lincoln reported. "Their communications and transmission systems are jammed so you guys should be clear."
"Good work, stand by." Lexa stated before tapping the badge on her uniform, silencing the comm.
"So, the second level of the ship is where the prisoners are likely being held." Anya said in a hushed tone.
"Likely?" Lexa frowned, and Anya rolled her eyes.
"We won't know until we go up there and scan for heat signatures, but from the blueprints it is most likely that they would be held there." Lexa thought before finally making up her mind.
"Okay, where's the closest elevator access?" Anya looked down at the blueprints that she had uploaded on her hand-held tablet.
"It should be through the doors on the west side and down the hall to your left." She informed her, and Lexa hummed.
"Alright." She tapped the side of her phaser. "I'll take point." Lexa moved from her crouched position.
"I'll cover you." Echo whispered to Lexa, tapping her lightly on the shoulder. Lexa nodded, her finger hovering over the trigger of her phaser. Quietly, Lexa slunk through the empty hold, making to the other side of the room. She signaled for Echo and Anya to join her seconds later, and together they moved to the door, stopping just short of the threshold.
Lexa peered through, scanning either side of the hall before moving to the left, the other two hot on her heels. They had made it to the end of the hall when Lexa caught sight of movement at the corner of her eye, and immediately she fired. The Romulan collapsed with a dull thud, and Anya instantly shuffled forward and dragged the body out of sight.
"Over here!" Echo hissed, and she beckoned towards the elevator doors. Anya and Lexa hurried to join the younger woman. The doors opened with a low hum, and the three clambered in. Once the two doors opened on the second floor, Lexa instantly saw a Romulan who had been approaching the lift.
Before she could even lift her own weapon, a knife was spinning through the air with a hiss, piercing the Romulan in the center of the chest. The guard hardly made so much as a whimper as he fell on his back from the force of the blow, dead.
The body of the Romulan was immediately spirited away by Echo and Anya, and Lexa took the time to examine the hallway before them. About 300 meters ahead, the hallway split into two different paths, and Lexa glanced at Anya, who was already pulling out the heat scanner from her belt. "The heat signatures indicate that the prisoners should be right at the end of that hall." Anya reported in a hushed voice, pointing to the path on the right.
Lexa hummed, and she pressed her badge. "Costia, you guys ready?"
"Affirmative Admiral." The officer said, and Lexa tapped on her badge again. She raised one hand and gestured to her companions, and they moved silently to the indicated path.
Eventually, they came upon the door, and Anya checked the device once more before nodding to Lexa. The admiral dipped her head to Echo, and the officer stepped up to the door, pulling out small tools to disable the locking mechanisms.
It was without much difficulty that Echo managed to unlock the door, and the instant Lexa stepped into the room, she caught sight of four guards sitting around a table at one end of the room. Lexa shot two of them, with Echo and Anya dealing with the rest.
"Lexa!" At the sound of the familiar voice, the admiral turned her head to the other side of the room, and she instantly saw Abby.
The woman was standing with twelve other humans in a large cell, and there was astonishment flashing in her eyes. Before she could say anything else, the captain put an index finger over her lips to indicate silence, and Echo slipped over to the door, working on the lock.
Lexa walked up, and she looked over each prisoner. They were virtually untouched and unmarred, which brought great relief to her racing mind. She nodded to Abby in a calming gesture before turning her back to them, watching the door in case the guards had caught on to their presence.
"Got it!" Echo announced, and the locking mechanism clicked simultaneously with her exclamation. One by one, the prisoners filed out, and Lexa made her way over to Abby, briefly resting a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you okay?" She asked, and Abby nodded, putting a hand on Lexa's forearm.
"I'm fine." She said, and she tightened her hold on her daughter-in-law's arm. "I'm surprised you're the one to rescue us though."
"Kane pulled my name out of a hat." Lexa explained jokingly. "Clarke wasn't very happy about it, nor was I." Abby frowned, but then her attention shifted to something behind Lexa's shoulder, and the captain spun around.
The door opened with a clang, and Lexa raised her phaser, putting down the Romulan before he could fire at her, the shock at seeing the prisoners out of their cell still evident on his face as he collapsed.
"We have to move, now!" Lexa said, and she signaled to Echo, who had been checking on the others. "Echo, watch the back." She ordered, and Abby was at her shoulder then.
"Why can't we just beam up to the ship from here?" The older woman questioned, and Lexa did not bother turning her head to face her.
"We can't," She gestured to the materials lining the walls. "You can't beam in or out of this room. Our only option is to go back the way we came."
"And where is that?" Abby asked, and Lexa walked over to the fallen guard, crouching as she collected his phaser in her free hand.
"The cargo hold." Lexa said shortly. "And as I said, we need to move." She rose to her feet and strode over to the door. Then she felt Abby's iron-grip on her forearm.
"Wait, you need to rescue the others." Abby hissed, and Lexa turned to her with raised eyebrows.
"Others? Kane told me Wallace's men had only captured twelve of our people." Her eyes scanned the crowd again, and she nodded. "There's twelve."
"No," Abby said urgently, "They also have a group of Vulcans, they shared this cell block with us until a few hours ago." Lexa's brain scrambled at the new information.
"Hey, what's the hold-up?" Anya walked over to them, an anxious gleam in her eyes. "We've got to scram." Lexa waved her hand dismissively to the woman.
"Do you know where they're being held?" She asked Abby. "And how many are there?" Lexa added in afterthought.
"There are five of them, and they were being taken up to level five, to Cage for questioning, from what I overheard." Abby tilted her chin towards the corpses of Romulan guards piled together in the corner of the room.
Lexa rubbed her chin, and Anya looked at her questioningly. "Lexa, what's going on?"
"They have a couple Vulcans captive." She replied in a brisk tone. Anya's brown eyes widened in an almost comical fashion – if the context was not so dire, Lexa would have likely laughed at the other woman's expense.
"What's your plan?" Anya asked, and Lexa clenched her jaw uncomfortably.
"The directive was to rescue the twelve." She dipped her chin to Anya. "We're moving." Lexa turned to the group, seeing each anxious, fearful face. This was what she had come for.
"But Lexa-" Abby's eyes were filled with shock and outrage. Lexa cut her off with a sharp look.
"I'll deal with it, you focus on getting out of here." She snapped, her temper starting to unravel. Instead, Lexa gestured for Anya to take the rear of the group before counting each human again.
Her eyes met Echo's, and once the other woman blinked in understanding, the latter moved cautiously to the door. Echo pressed the button and the door opened seamlessly, and she craned her neck out the open doorway. It was clear. She turned back to Lexa, Anya, and the others and nodded.
Lexa moved to take the lead, stepping out with the prisoners in single-file behind her as she led them back to the cargo hull. Once her eyes had appraised the room, ensuring that it was still empty, Lexa beckoned with her right hand, and one-by-one the rest of the group entered the room.
Once Anya had made it through the door, Lexa stood at the threshold. "Costia, we're ready." She said.
"We're going to have to beam them up six at a time." Costia informed Lexa. "The beaming pad isn't big enough."
"Got you, just hurry." Lexa grunted, her eyes never leaving the other end of the hallway. She shifted uncomfortably, her senses heightened as she listened for any movement. Echo was with one of the more elderly prisoners, helping them struggle through the doorway to join the others.
Anya stood on the other side of the threshold facing Lexa, and the first six prisoners disappeared as they were beamed up to the Washington.
"Every second we're still here we become larger targets." Anya said nervously, voicing Lexa's fear and the admiral made no sign of having heard her, besides her nose twitching slightly.
"We've got them." Costia commented, "Taking the next six up now." Lexa glanced back, and she saw Echo and the other six disappear.
"Well there's nothing we can do about it." Lexa murmured through clenched teeth. Then she heard heavy boots rushing down the other end of the hall, then she saw them. There were ten Romulans that rounded the corner, and instantly she fired with both weapons.
Four of the green-skinned humanoids fell to the ground instantly, and she felt the air whoosh next to her as Anya fired into the mass of bodies moving towards them.
"What happened to Lincoln keeping them occupied?" Anya remarked, and Lexa rolled her eyes, not bothering to reply as she shot at them. Then Lexa heard a cry of pain, and she turned momentarily, and caught sight of Anya. Lexa's blood ran cold through her veins at what she saw.
The other officer had collapsed to the ground, a wound gaping at her abdomen. Anya pressed a forearm over the injury weakly, and Lexa frantically shot at the incoming onslaught of bodies before rushing over to the other woman. She grabbed her around the shoulders, hauling her up and pushing her through the door.
"Move!" She shouted at Anya, nudging her into the cargo hold. Lexa redirected her attention to the Romulans, and she removed a grenade from her belt, flinging in their direction before she jumped into the room, just barely avoiding the blast. The smoke cleared, and Lexa peered out. She had made out five still standing when she had thrown the charge, and all she saw of them were mangled parts.
Lexa hummed and she turned to Anya, who was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed, a hand covering the wound. "Hey, stay with me." Lexa knelt at her side, and she patted her cheek. Anya opened her eyes blearily, and she gazed at Lexa with brown orbs glazed over in pain.
"Costia, beam Anya up!" Lexa said into her comm.
"Working on it!" The comm crackled as Costia strove to lock onto their positions. "Okay I've got her."
"Wait," Anya gasped, her hand suddenly wound around Lexa's forearm. Lexa frowned at her.
"Anya, you have to go." She said urgently, and the woman shook her head.
"You, you have to come with-" She said through hissed teeth, and Lexa nodded. "Don't be," Anya gasped, and Lexa knew what she was going to say.
"Don't be a Vulcan, I know." Lexa grinned slightly despite herself. "I'll be right behind you." Lexa promised, and she pried Anya's already tiring fingers from her arm. "Costia, take her up." At her words, she watched as Anya disappeared before her eyes.
"Got her Lexa." Costia confirmed. "You're next."
"No." Lexa stated firmly, rising to her feet.
"What do you mean 'no'?" Costia questioned, an edge of concern peppering her voice.
"I have to rescue the Vulcans." Lexa explained shortly, and she took off at a run, racing down the hallway, past the bodies strewn along the floor.
"You're what?" Costia practically screeched, and Lexa did not stop. Her legs cut a clear path straight to the elevator, and as the doors opened, she saw five Romulan soldiers. Lexa fired at them quickly, and the minute their bodies dropped, she leapt aboard the elevator, shoving one unfortunate body out of the metal box.
"Cos, take care of Anya for me." Lexa said as she pressed the button for the fifth level. She did not hear Costia's next words, because with a quick tap, she had cut off the transmission. She stood there, calming her racing heart as she waited, and when the doors finally snapped open, she was immediately beset with phaser fire.
Lexa ducked behind one side of the elevator, and she unclipped another grenade, and with practiced ease, threw it into the group of Romulans firing at her. There was a scream, and then seconds after the sound of the explosion, Lexa leapt out of the elevator. Her feet skimmed the floor as she raced past the dead or gravely wounded Romulans, her eyes and ears listening and observing for her.
As she neared the corner of the hall, she collided hard into a guard. And not just any guard, Lexa realized as she ran her gaze over him. It was Emerson, Wallace's right hand. They both landed hard, and before she could gather her senses, Emerson suddenly had his hands on her throat. He seemed to recognize her as well, and his eyes gleamed with a sadistic glee. She struggled desperately, her legs kicking furiously at his back, yet he seemed unaffected, and he began to giggle, making her skin crawl.
Then her hands found purchase around the hilt of the dagger at the Romulan's hip, and with a powerful thrust, she stabbed Emerson under the chin and up through his skull. She felt the tip of the blade graze his eyeball, and as he was screaming in agony, she used her other hand to land a hard punch on the soft cartilage of his throat.
Lexa untangled herself from him, staggering to her feet, and as her assailant fell to the ground screaming, she used the heel of her boot to silence him permanently. Her throat felt sore, but she barely paid attention to it, and she continued in her search of the Vulcans, continuing in her quick stride down the hall.
She heard voices as she rushed past a few doors, and when she neared the one that seemed to emit the sounds, Lexa fired her phaser at the lock, blasting it open.
Cage Wallace was standing in the middle of the room, a phaser trained on a female Vulcan. His head swung in the direction of the door, and once he saw who had entered, he grinned.
"Lexa Woods, how pleasant." His voice was oily and riddled with contempt, and Lexa glared at him, her phaser raised at his head.
"Cage, put the weapon down." She ordered in a low, rasping voice. The other four Vulcans were chained to the wall, their brown eyes hardly betraying any sign of fear, though Lexa knew that emotion was there.
Cage laughed, a terrible, snarling sound that made Lexa almost cringe. She didn't. "You really think that I'm that afraid of you, that I will listen to what you say?"
"You're outnumbered, and your ship's crew is all but dead." Lexa snapped in a cold, scathing voice. "Release my people, or die."
"Or this lovely little lady gets her brains blown out." Cage suggested, and he tapped his fingers on the phaser, toying with the trigger.
"Cage, this is my last warning," Lexa growled, "Let her go." Cage met the icy force of her gaze, and then in an instant, he shoved the Vulcan in front of Lexa's line of fire.
Lexa reached out and caught the Vulcan before she fell, but as she did, Cage bolted out the now unblocked doorway. Lexa checked the woman, who looked up gratefully at the Starfleet officer.
"Thank you." She gasped, and Lexa nodded before she helped her to her feet quickly. Then she moved forward and released the other four Vulcans. Once the task was completed, Lexa handed each of them a weapon to defend themselves.
"Do any of you know a closer area to beam off this ship?" Lexa asked them, and one of the males nodded.
"The hangar bay on the south side of this level." He said, and she clenched her jaw.
"Alright, then that's where we're headed." She gestured with her shoulder and the Vulcans followed her out. She turned to the male who had spoken up. "Lead the way, I'll be right behind you." She said, and at her command, the Vulcan started moving, leading the progression down the hall.
Once they had made it to the hangar, Lexa turned on her communications again. "Costia, I've got them, beam us up."
"Good, alright, locking on your location now." Costia said. Just then, a bedraggled but still alive group of insurgents rushed at them from the west entrance of the hangar bay.
"Hurry up!" Lexa shouted to Costia, and she fired at the incoming Romulans. The Vulcans strove to assist her in keeping the Romulans at bay, and Lexa had fired off a few more shots before she felt the beaming effect initialize, and as she departed the hostile ship, all she saw were the furious expressions written upon the Romulan's faces as they attempted to snatch at her as she was spirited away.
She landed lightly on the beaming pads, her feet touching the bottom of the floor firmly. Echo suddenly materialized at her shoulder, giving Lexa a questioning gaze. "Are you okay?"
"Just peachy." Lexa said dryly and she groaned loudly as she got to her feet. "But I think I'm through with near-death experiences, thank you very much."
"You're telling me." Echo snorted, and Lexa chuckled. She took a deep breath, feeling her lungs fill with air, and her body thrumming with energy. She was alive, and her relief at still being here, standing, breathing, crashed over her like a tidal wave.
She ran her hands through her messy ponytail, striving to fix the tangled brown strands of hair. She tapped her badge. "Cos, how's Anya?" She asked as she stepped off of the pad.
"She's stable, she'll make it." She reported. Then there was a commotion, and Caris was rushing into the room.
"Admiral, we need you on the bridge!" She exclaimed breathlessly, and Lexa immediately scrambled off on tired legs to the bridge.
Once she entered, she saw Lincoln standing before the captain's chair, shouting orders at the officers at the helm of the ship.
"Lincoln, what's the problem?" She asked as she walked up to him. He whirled around in surprise.
"The Romulans are beginning to fire on Earth, they've already taken out a few buildings in downtown San Francisco." He explained. Lexa's blood ran cold; Clarke and Tris were in danger.
"Then fire on their ship." She snapped, "Either they retreat or they die, I don't care. They're not destroying one more building."
"But Lexa, what if we tried for diplomacy, we are after all-"
"I don't give a fuck about diplomacy Lincoln, do you want your family to die?" She growled. Lexa turned her head to the officer at the helm. "Fire our heavy-weight torpedoes, now!"
"Lexa," Lincoln started, "Is this the best way to handle things?"
"It is the most logical option." She snapped, at the last thread of her patience, her desperation to protect her family the only thought in her mind. "Now go do your job and blast that ship out of existence." She moved over to the captain's chair and sat, and at once Lincoln hastened to follow her orders.
"Their shields have been disabled, firing on the ship now." Lincoln informed her seconds later, and she nodded.
The entire ship shook then, and Lexa gripped tightly to her chair. The Romulans, were unsurprisingly, firing back.
"Our warp capabilities have been destroyed!" Caris shouted, and the ship was rocked with another blast. Lexa gritted her teeth.
"Just keep firing!" She commanded the officer. "Everyone strap in!" Lexa added, securing her own belt over her shoulders.
Then there was an explosion, and Lexa's eyes widened as the entire Romulan ship disintegrated before them. The darkness that was space lit up for seconds before it swallowed the blinding energy, and within a blink of an eye, it returned to its former state, unscathed and eerily silent once more.
Lexa stared for a few more heartbeats, and then she rested her head on the back of the chair with a loud sigh, her eyes closing. Then, Echo let out a whooping cheer, and Lincoln and the others joined in loudly.
Hands were on her shoulder, and as she opened her eyes she looked up into the face of her trusted first officer. "We did it!" Lincoln cried cheerily, and Lexa finally allowed the victory that they had just achieved to wash over her, and she released a chuckle.
Once her foot touched the first step of the metal stairs, Lexa felt relief and contentment wash over her entire being. Then her eyes sought out the instinctive blonde hair of her wife, and she found her within seconds. Without paying mind to her stinging, tired limbs, Lexa ran down the rest of the steps and rushed to her.
Clarke was standing right in the front of the crowd of Washington personnel family members, and as Lexa rushed over to her, the blonde felt all the weight of her fears flee from her shoulders.
They met in a flurry of limbs, and then Lexa had enveloped Clarke in her arms. In pure, unadulterated love and passion for this woman, Lexa clasped her arms around her wife's waist and swung them around and around in circles. Clarke laughed her arms wrapping tightly around Lexa's neck as she partook in this innocent, silly act, and when Lexa stopped, when Clarke's feet were on the ground again, Clarke leaned forward and captured Lexa's lips with her own.
In this kiss, Clarke scolded Lexa, she reprimanded her for leaving. Then she also affirmed her affection, her fondness, proclaiming her love for the brunette and telling her to never leave again, and Lexa understood and accepted all of it.
When they finally broke away, their foreheads resting against each other in union, Clarke, her face wet with tears, said: "Don't ever do that again." And Lexa agreed; she agreed with gentle hands cupping Clarke's face and all the kisses that brushed away and absorbed each tear drop with adoration.
Then there was a tug on her shirt, and Lexa, with a smile looked down to meet her daughter. "Mom!" Tris squealed delightedly, and Lexa released a booming chuckle as she bent down, scooping up the tiny human in her arms.
"Hey you." Lexa greeted her, and she dropped a fond kiss on Tris's forehead. Clarke's arm slid around Lexa's waist, and the brunette smiled. Clarke kissed Lexa's cheek, and then at sight of her mother walking down the steps of the shuttle, Clarke departed to greet her.
Lexa followed her wife slowly, with an excitable and giggling Tris in her arms. Abby had her arms wrapped around Clarke, whispering in her ear, and then her eyes locked onto Tris.
"Come here." Abby beckoned to Tris, whom Lexa gently deposited to the ground. Immediately, the three-year old rushed towards her grandmother.
Lexa observed all of this with a satisfied hum, and as Clarke rejoined her with an arm hung around her waist, she smiled.