(updated 10-16-2020)
CHAPTER SEVEN
Reunion
"The worlds occupied by the Hegemony were ripe for rebellion, especially Tirol. The Tirolians still retained the memory of their civilization, before the Haydonites ruthlessly crushed and destroyed their colonies and fleets, finally conquering and occupying Tirol. Rather than give up, the Tirolians spent generations gathering information and intelligence about their enemy, studying and preparing for the day they could rise up in rebellion. Their resistance movement had even established clandestine communication links with the other species under Haydonite rule to share information and co-ordinate plans. But all this was useless in the face against the mecha and space fleets of the Hegemony. It seemed the Tirolians and others would languish forever under Haydonite domination. This was the situation the Arcadia Expedition encountered when they arrived in the Tirol system..."
— excerpt from "A Galaxy at War: The Haydonite-Alliance War"
oOoOo
It was all just flashes...
The desperation as the Captain ordered the fold. The computer console displaying Tirol as their destination... then everything going white and then nothingness.
Then the nothingness faded, and Willow could see the bridge again... she was the only one still standing. Everyone else had collapsed. She saw Samantha lying on the deck and called out her name when the console in front of her exploded in a geyser of sparks and flames.
She was lying on the deck, slipping in and out of consciousness with no perception of time. The sounds of voices caught a part of her consciousness. At first she thought it was the bridge crew, but some voices were speaking in languages she didn't recognize. Then through the blur, she could have sworn she saw a bear and a huge fox, wearing body armor, and carrying weapons, moving around the bridge. As the darkness finally settled, a human-looking face was hovering over her, checking her out...
oOoOo
The smell and sound of the ocean was soothing. She rolled over in bed, taking in the morning sun working its way in through the patio doors, bathing the bedroom in its warmth.
The pile of clothes lying on the floor next to the bed caught her attention, and she suddenly realized she was naked under the sheets.
For a disconcerting moment, she didn't know where she was or how she got here. But it all came rushing back. Before Kennedy left with the Arcadia, they had taken a trip to Mexico together, staying at a quiet beach-side resort for five glorious days.
They spent their days walking the beach or swimming in the ocean, followed by quiet romantic dinners and passionate lovemaking that left her tingling.
She suddenly remembered this moment... this was the morning of the last day. They would return home later in the afternoon, and Kennedy would go up to the Arcadia to rejoin her squadron the next day. They had spent the day in bed holding each other, dealing with the sadness and uncertainty, not knowing what the future would bring.
She was still trying to figure out what was going on when the approaching sound of feet on a bare floor drew her attention. Shock and surprise gripped her, instantly recognizing the person coming into the bedroom, only wearing a t-shirt, and carrying two glasses of orange juice.
"Morning sleepyhead... thought you could use this."
"K-Kennedy? I-Is that you?"
The other woman eyed Willow strangely, and then laughed, "It was the last time I looked in the mirror."
"W-What? W-What's going on?"
A concerned expression filled Kennedy's face, putting down the glasses and moving to Willow's bedside, "Willow, you okay? Is something wrong?"
Willow shook her head, "I-I don't know? This? All this?"
She eyed Kennedy again as a wave of pain and loss filled her, "Kennedy... I've missed you so much. Is this a dream? If it is, I don't care! I just want to be with you again... I don't want you to leave again!"
"I'm right here with you... I've always been with you. You just need to do one thing now."
A confused Willow met Kennedy's eyes, "W-What? What do I need to do?" she said.
"You just have to open your eyes and wake up, Red..."
oOoOo
Consciousness beckoned Willow, and she struggled to open her eyes. Through the hazy blur, she could make out the room, and was aware she was in a bed. From what she could discern, a sense of familiarity grabbed her. The room reminded her of the Arcadia's sickbay from the colors and the feel.
She was becoming more aware of her surroundings and realized she wasn't alone in the room. The stiffness and pain in her head and neck kept her from shifting too fast, but she glimpsed someone sitting in a chair with their feet propped up.
Quiet snoring emanated from the person while Willow struggled to get her eyes to focus. Disbelief filled her as she recognized the sleeping person... it had been years since they had last seen each other.
"K-Kennedy..." Willow rasped.
Kennedy's eyes immediately shot open, and was at her bedside in a flash, "Jesus Red! You gave me a scare! I didn't think you were ever going to wake up!" she sighed, kneeling beside the bed, gently stroking Willow's hair.
Confusion gripped Willow, and for a moment she didn't believe this was real. Any doubt faded, feeling Kennedy's touch and warm breath, along with seeing her blood-shot, red-rimmed eyes.
"W-Where? H-How?" Willow croaked.
Kennedy grabbed a glass of water, holding it as Willow took a drink through a straw, "I don't know how you pulled it off. That you and everyone else on the Valley Forge survived that fold was nothing less than a miracle. You've got engineers still scratching their heads over that jump," she smiled with tears forming in her eyes.
The water settled her throat as questions and confusion filled her head, "W-Where? Where are we?" Willow said.
Kennedy leaned in, kissing Willow gently on the forehead, letting her lips linger to feel the warmth as this all seemed like a dream to her, "Tirol, my sweet wiccan. You made it to Tirol."
oOoOo
Samantha and Captain Lynch, once getting cleared by the medical staff, were now getting to see the sights. They looked on in awe from the passenger seats of their all-terrain jeep-like vehicle while they toured a massive military base. Waves of shuttles, fighters and other spacecraft passed overhead while they drove past vast assemblies of vehicles and troops training. Off in the distance, a huge alien city filled the surrounding skyline.
They were among the first to regain consciousness after the Valley Forge's emergency space-fold. Surprise would be understating what they experienced when they awoke to find themselves greeted by a mix of humans and aliens.
It didn't take much convincing for them to realize they had reached the other side of the galaxy and made contact with the Arcadia Expedition. They were told their ship turned up in the Tirolian system out of nowhere, drifting without power.
Their barrage of questions would have to wait until the official debriefing. Samantha was told that General Coulson would arrive to conduct the debriefing. A sense of relief filled Samantha, knowing the General was still alive. Until General Coulson arrived, they had nothing to do but wait.
Samantha would have rather done her waiting at the hospital by Willow's bedside, but Lynch wanted her to accompany him on this first tour of Tirol.
Despite the medical staff assuring her of Willow's condition and having a full recovery, a pang of guilt filled Samantha for not being there.
It was probably for the best that she wasn't there with Kennedy at the hospital. Despite the politeness, there was an underlying current of tension and awkwardness between them. This tour would give her a chance to focus on something else other than her relationship with Willow.
After Captain Lynch checked on his crew, and brought them up to speed, they went on an escorted tour of the base. They both admitted that the whole situation still seemed a little unreal. But here they were being driven around by a human-looking alien, wearing an REF-styled uniform, speaking perfect English.
"So you're a Marine, Lieutenant Na-Na... Nam..." Samantha struggled, trying to remember how to pronounce the young Tirolian officer's name.
"Namol, and yes, ma'am, I'm a Marine," the young man said, giving her a polite smile while driving.
"Sorry."
Namol nodded, still smiling, "It's okay, ma'am. I still have problems with some human names, especially those Russian ones."
"How long have you been a Marine, Lieutenant?" Captain Lynch said.
Namol immediately switched modes with a senior officer addressing him, "Almost four years, sir! Proud to serve with the 1/5 of the 6th Marine Division. I served with them until I got assigned to duties in Alliance HQ, sir!"
Samantha fought to keep from laughing, leaning in whispering to Lynch, "He would fit right in at Pendleton or Quantico."
Lynch smiled, nodding in agreement, "So where are we heading now?" he said.
"Sir, we're scheduled to stop at Alliance HQ. The Arcadia's Battle Group is back in system. Luckily, they were already on route back here for a rest and refit. General Coulson is shuttling down to the surface. He'll be at HQ by the time we get there. So, sit back and enjoy the ride. We'll be passing by the Veritech training base. It's pretty impressive even if they are Navy," Namol said, adding a slight smirk.
Samantha couldn't help herself this time, laughing at the Lieutenant's comment. Lynch shook his head, wondering if it hadn't been a mistake to send Marines with the Arcadia, spreading their mindset across the galaxy.
"Is Captain Coleiro with General Coulson?" Lynch said.
Namol eyed Lynch with a confused expression, "Captain Coleiro? Sorry, sir, but I think you must be referring to Admiral Coleiro, and no, he's not with General Coulson. The Admiral is with the 1st Fleet mopping up Haydonite forces in the Leonis Prime system."
Samantha and Lynch looked at each other, noting the awe and pride in the Lieutenant's voice. They still had a lot of questions, but they knew they would get answers soon.
oOoOo
Concern etched Kennedy's face, "Are you sure you're up for this?"
Willow nodded, shaking off the pain and stiffness as she got dressed, "Yeah, I need to be there when they brief the General. He needs to know about everything that has gone on for the last five years."
Kennedy shook her head, still digesting what information Willow had shared with her so far, "I still can't believe how bad it is back home. I mean, we knew that something had happened because..."
Willow curiously eyed Kennedy, "Because of what?"
"Well... we figured something major must have happened back at home, because one day... Snap! All of us Potentials are no longer Potentials..."
Willow stared at Kennedy in disbelief, "My Goddess! I didn't even think about how the Slayer activation spell would impact you or if it could reach this far!"
Kennedy shrugged, giving her a smirk, "Well it did, and ta da, I'm now a Slayer and a fighter pilot."
It still all seemed like a dream to Willow, being here with Kennedy. But if it was one, she didn't care. Yet she still had a load of questions, "I'm still trying to get a handle on all this and what's going on. Why didn't any of you ever come back? We waited and prayed for all... any of you to return," she said, her voice taking on a frustrated tone.
Kennedy sighed, "That's way above my pay-grade. I'm just a lowly First Lieutenant. My world revolves around my flight section and squadron."
Willow sighed, taking Kennedy's hand in her. She hadn't wanted to throw cold water on their reunion, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take it out on you."
Kennedy suddenly looked uncomfortable, "No, you have every right to ask the question. It's just that it's... umm... a touchy subject with some people."
Her expression only stoked Willow's curiosity, "Why didn't you send a ship or get a message back to Earth?"
Kennedy played her poker face, "I think General Coulson is better suited to answer all your questions and explain everything."
She immediately switched the topic, putting on a smile, "With the Arcadia back in system, you'll get a chance to see Dawn and Xander. They're probably bouncing off the bulkheads to see you once they got word of your arrival."
The ploy worked as Willow's face lit up with excitement, "Dawnie and Xander! It will be great to see them! How are they doing?"
Kennedy laughed, taking Willow's hand and leading her out into the hospital corridor, "Last I heard they were both doing fine. We'll catch up with them after the meeting."
Willow shook her head, beaming with an enormous smile, "I still can't believe you're here."
Kennedy grinned, "It's just luck that my squadron was back on Tirol for some rest and refitting. Normally, we're with the 1st Fleet on the Admiral's flagship, but we're getting ready for a big push and they need their best ready for that."
"I still can't believe that Captain Coleiro is now Admiral Coleiro," Willow said, shaking her head.
"Well, it's been a few years and there have been a lot of changes. With the size of the Alliance fleet and his experience, it was due."
"Faith would be doing handstands and cartwheels if she knew he was alive," Willow said.
Kennedy's expression became somber, "Will... it's been a long, hard war against the Haydonites. He's changed... Everyone has changed," she replied.
Willow nodded, her smile fading, "I understand that... I've changed too."
This was the moment she'd been dreading with her relationship with Samantha now casting its shadow over their reunion. She didn't know how to tell her, "I-I want to tell you... I-I was—" she stuttered.
Kennedy smirked, "You want to tell me about you and Samantha."
Willow eyed Kennedy with shock and surprise, "H-How d-did you know?"
Kennedy shrugged, "She was by your bedside when I got here. I saw the look on her face and put two and two together..."
Willow stopped in her tracks, turning to face Kennedy, "I'm so sorry... I-I didn't want you to find out that way... I-I wanted to tell you."
Kennedy stepped closer to Willow, taking her hand, "You don't have to apologize for anything. I understand. It's okay... we're good," she whispered.
An avalanche of emotions released within Willow, feeling a huge weight lift off her. She grabbed Kennedy, hugging her tightly, exhaling a deep sigh. All that played in her mind was their goodbye on the Arcadia's flight deck, five years ago.
She pulled away, meeting Kennedy's eyes, getting a smile in return. Their lips met, and the kiss started softly, but quickly increased in intensity and passion. Time melted away as they embraced and kissed in the hospital corridor. They finally pulled away, each with smiles filling their faces.
"I missed that," Willow laughed, taking her partner's hand. Kennedy nodded in agreement as they continued their walk to Alliance HQ and the debriefing session with General Coulson.
As they walked, a sudden thought struck Willow. She could have slapped herself for being so forgetful, "Oh! If Dawn and Xander are coming down from the Arcadia, will Anya be with them too? It would be good to see her too!" she gushed.
The sudden change in Kennedy's expression caught her by surprise, sending a chill down her spine, "No... Anya won't be with them," Kennedy muttered.
oOoOo
Willow, Samantha and Captain Lynch stood as General Coulson entered the briefing room. Even with their exposure, it was still surprising to see the General in the company by two aliens. One was a man-sized fox-like looking creature, wearing a breathing mask, while the other alien looked rock like or even made of crystal.
Coulson took his seat at the conference table, waving his hand to those standing, "Please take a seat, everyone."
He noted the looks on their faces, reminding him of his first encounter with aliens, "I want to introduce my aides. This is my Chief-of-Staff, Captain Tami of Garuda," he said gesturing towards the fox-like looking person, "And this is Commander Savino of Spheris, he is my Intelligence Officer."
Both officers nodded to the others as they took their seats beside the General. As everyone settled in, Coulson studied the new arrivals. So far, he only had sketchy details of their arrival and the situation back on Earth. He had a lot of questions that needed answering before deciding what to do next.
"I had hoped we could have this reunion under happier circumstances, but we deal with the hand we're dealt," Coulson said.
He continued eyeing Samantha, Willow and Captain Lynch sitting across from him as he continued, "I only have a preliminary report of what's going on. I want to hear from each of you about the current situation back on Earth. Samantha, you can start first and bring me up to speed on planet-side events. Captain Lynch, you can then brief me about the Haydonite attack."
Samantha nodded, taking a deep breath as she stood to give her report...
oOoOo
Coulson struggled to keep his emotions in check, listing to the reports from Samantha—with Willow adding her own observations—and Captain Lynch, respectively. He had expected bad news, but nothing like he was hearing.
The White House attacked! The President and Secretary of Defense dead! Boston blown up and that bastard Kinsey, President!
The desperation, frustration and pain in both women's voices were obvious as they spoke about everything they'd endured, along with all the losses suffered. Samantha explained about their last ditch mission aboard the Valley Forge to seize control of the space fleet and force Kinsey from power.
"And both of you were aboard when the Haydonite fleet arrived?" Coulson said.
"Yes, sir," replied Samantha and Willow.
The stone-looking Commander Savino added, giving a nod towards Lynch, "General, we have downloaded and reviewed the sensor data from the Valley Forge. Considering the size of force they were facing, it is a minor miracle that any ships survived the battle. I recommend that Captain Lynch receive a commendation for his actions in the handling of his ship and force against overwhelming odds."
A small smile grew on Coulson's face, the first one since the meeting started, "There you go Captain, you just got your first battle commendation."
"T-Thank you, sir? About my ship and my crew?" Lynch replied, experiencing some shock and surprise.
Savino answered the Captain's question, "Your crew will go through the standard debriefing process by Alliance Intelligence after cleared by medical staff. Captain Tami is better positioned to answer questions about your ship."
"Thank you, Commander," Tami said, nodding to the Spherisian. Her voice was clear, despite her wearing a breathing mask.
The fox-looking creature pulled out her tablet, swiping at the screen, "The Valley Forge suffered extensive damage from the battle and the space-fold to get here. Along with the main particle turret destroyed, there is also damage to the hull and power systems, including the main Reflex furnace."
Lynch sighed, hearing the long list of damage to his ship.
Tami caught the Captain's sigh, reading his frustration, "Captain, your ship is already in space dock and has priority for repairs and upgrades."
Lynch perked up at this news, "Upgrades?"
The Garudan nodded, "Yes, with the new particle beam turret being installed, your ship is being retrofitted with a new power generator which will increase the beam energy output considerably. There will be no impact to range and firing capability, but you will have more firepower to burn through any Haydonite defensive shields."
Lynch smiled, "Anything else?"
"Yes, we are doubling your missile launcher storage capacity. We are also adding new shield emitters, developed from captured Haydonite technology. Those emitters, along with installation of eight new point-defense turrets, will increase your ship's defensive capabilities. All these additions will cost you just over half of your hanger capacity."
Lynch's smile grew at this increase in his offensive and defensive capabilities, "I think I can live with the sacrifice. How long will it take for all the repairs and upgrades?"
"We understand the urgency, so as I said we have put your ship as a priority. It will take ten to fourteen standard days to complete all repairs and upgrades," Tami replied.
"Damn, that's too long! We have to get back sooner! God knows what those bastards could do in two weeks!" Lynch blurted.
Tami turned to General Coulson, "Sir?"
Lynch and the others suddenly got a bad vibe. Samantha, eyeing Coulson, voiced the question, "Sir, you are going to send a force to take back Earth? Aren't you?"
Coulson sighed, recognizing this would be a question, and a major issue of contention. He hesitated while figuring out how to break the bad news, "The retaking of Earth is not a priority," he said, noting their shock and disbelief.
"N-Not a priority?" Willow stammered in disbelief.
Coulson didn't back away from the looks the others were giving him, "The Haydonite attack on Earth and your arrival here couldn't have come at a most delicate time. This war has been going on for over four years for us humans. The other races in the Alliance have suffered under Haydonite occupation for generations. The first year of the war, we surprised the Haydonites and liberated Tirol, Optera and Carbonara. Then we spent the next year-and-a-half, hanging on by our fingernails while the Haydonites threw everything at us. Over the last two years, we've marshaled our resources and launched new classes of battleships and battle-fortresses to expand our fleet. We've been slowly pushing the bastards back into their core worlds and liberating other worlds, incorporating them into our Alliance. We're going to win this war. At our current rate of progress, we're projecting the defeat of the Hegemony in two to three years."
Samantha blurted, "But, sir! Those Haydonites could be—"
"Agent Finn! I'm well aware of what the Haydonites are capable of, as are Captain Tami and Commander Savino," snapped Coulson.
Samantha closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to get control. Coulson took a deep breath himself, then turned to Savino, giving him a nod.
The Spherisian took his cue, "From the Valley Forge's sensor data, we could identify some of the enemy ships. They belong to the 12th Grand Fleet under the command of Prelate Dejan. Everyone in the Alliance is well aware of what the Prelate is capable of."
"Is there nothing you can do to help Earth? Why didn't you come back and warn us about the threat?" pleaded Willow.
Coulson took another deep breath. Willow's first question was straightforward to answer compared to her second question.
In his head, he was replaying all the old arguments he'd had with Admiral Coleiro. Many times over the years, Coulson had questions and doubts about Paul's decision to remain in the Local Group. But with victory looming ever closer, he'd buried those questions and doubts. With the Valley Forge's untimely arrival, it just brought them all roaring back.
We could have stopped Kinsey and all that from happening if we'd gone home, Coulson thought.
They need to know the truth... They deserve to know the truth.
"I will discuss the matter with Admiral Coleiro, but even with our growing fleet size, we are working within constraints. We have operational commitments to offensive operations, training, ships being repaired, refitted and protecting Alliance planets and bases."
Coulson paused, taking a deep breath, "After the liberation of Optera, we decided not to return home. We didn't want to lead the enemy to Earth."
Samantha studied the General, detecting tension in his tone and body language. She got the sense there was more going on, "That doesn't make much sense, sir? When the war started going your way, you could have sent one ship back."
Coulson replayed that fateful decision again in his mind. During those desperate, uncertain times it had made sense. But in retrospect it now looked like a huge mistake, and Earth was paying the price for it.
The General met Samantha's eyes, "We couldn't send any ships back home. It wasn't a matter of numbers or availability. As a security precaution, we deleted all references to Earth from all our computers... all the navigation data that could get us home. There was no way for us to send anyone home."