(updated 10-16-2020)
CHAPTER EIGHT
One big happy...
"One of the continuing mysteries of the Haydonite-Alliance War was Captain Coleiro's decision not to return to Earth after the liberation of Optera. It is on record that Coleiro had several in-person meetings with the Invid Regess. There are records and witnesses to many of these meeting. One particular meeting of importance with the Invid Regess occurred just before the Arcadia's planned departure date back to Earth. It was right after this meeting Captain Coleiro changed his mind about returning home. There are no records or witnesses to this meeting, so we may never know what transpired to convince the Captain to reverse his decision. What we know is that after that meeting and making his decision, Coleiro became more obsessive and fanatical about defeating the Hegemony at any cost..."
— excerpt from "The History of Robotechnology and the Alliance"
oOoOo
Willow, Samantha and Captain Lynch left the meeting, each filled with mixed feelings. While the General answered some of their questions, the meeting raised new ones.
The biggest unanswered question continued to be what they would do about the Haydonite attack on Earth. So far they only had General Coulson's assurances to discuss the matter with Admiral Coleiro. This was cold comfort that while they were safe, Earth was still under threat.
Captain Lynch left Samantha and Willow to check on his crew before heading up to the orbital space dock to survey his ship and oversee the promised repairs and upgrades.
This left Willow and Samantha alone in the corridor. An awkward silence permeated the air while each woman struggled with their emotions. They had shared so much together over the years, creating a special bond between them, but there was also the realization that what they had was ending.
Samantha finally broke the silence, "Willow... I-I just wanted to say—," she stammered, finding the heart break as bad as when Riley left.
Willow gazed at Samantha, meeting her eyes. She stepped closer, taking the other woman's hand in hers, and caressing Samantha's face with her other hand, "I know, Sam. Thank you. You're a good friend."
Samantha couldn't hold back any more, hugging Willow tightly. She gave her one last passionate kiss, letting her lips linger. As she pulled away, she whispered into Willow's ear, "Thank you for being there for me."
Willow fought back burgeoning tears, along with some doubts. Luckily, a woman's shouts from down the corridor distracted her.
"WILLOW!"
It took a moment for Willow to recognize and realize who it was. Samantha gave her a small smile as she turned to the voice, "DAWN!"
Tears brimmed in Willow's eyes as a torrent of emotions filled her. Her growing smile filled her face when she recognized the man walking with Dawn, "XANDER!" she shouted.
Samantha couldn't help but experience a burst of happiness, watching as Willow rushed to greet her friends. A part of her hoped that Riley and her could someday have a similar reunion.
If we go back to Earth, she thought, recalling the meeting with General Coulson.
Willow barely kept her balance as Dawn rushed up and wrapped her up in an enormous hug, "My God, Willow! I... we thought we would never see you again!"
Willow hugged Dawn tightly, burying her face into Dawn's shoulder. She was afraid to let go in case this was all a dream.
"Hey, Will..." Xander said.
The tears were flowing freely as Willow rushed to her oldest and best friend, wrapping him up in an enormous hug.
oOoOo
It took a few minutes to get her emotions back under control, but Willow stopped hugging her friends long enough to introduce Samantha to her friends.
"Kennedy told us you were up here getting debriefed by the General. We decided we couldn't wait any longer. Kennedy would have joined us, but she got tied up at the base," Xander said, putting on an almost casual air of indifference.
His demeanor caught Willow by surprise. She expected him to make one of his usual sarcastic comments or jokes, but there was nothing. She immediately detected a change in him. The most obvious change was physical... he wasn't wearing an eye patch and had both eyes back. She remembered there being talk before he left about him getting an artificial eye.
But beyond the eyes, she saw a deeper change in him. He looked older and more serious. Suddenly an awful premonition gripped her, "Cassie? Where's Cassie?" she questioned.
Xander gave her a small smile, "She's fine... She's going to meet us here. She had to make a stop first."
Willow eyed him, "Are you guys...?".
Xander snorted and chuckled, "Yes, Cassie and I are still together."
Willow turned her attention to Dawn. She couldn't help but notice how grown up she was. The REF uniform she wore fit her well, and made her even look more mature and responsible compared to the Dawn she used to know, "Aaron? How's Aaron?" she inquired.
Dawn wore an enormous smile, "He's fine. He's still on the Arcadia, and yes, we're still together."
"Might as well show her," Xander said.
"Show me what?" Willow said. She blinked as Dawn held out her hand.
The realization finally sunk in as she looked at the ring on Dawn's hand, "OMG! Dawn, you and Aaron!" she exclaimed.
"He proposed four months ago," Dawn beamed.
Willow shook her head in disbelief, "When? When are you guys getting married?"
"We're waiting until the war is over. We want to get married back on Earth."
At the mention of home, Dawn's face switched over to a more concerned expression, "How's Buffy?"
Willow sighed. She didn't want to dampen the mood of this reunion, but they needed to know what was happening back home.
"Your sister, Giles, Riley, Faith, and a few others are still alive."
Willow's expression and the way she said "still alive" brought on looks of concern from Dawn and Xander.
Xander breathed, "How bad is it back home, Will?"
"It's bad. The First tried opening the Hellmouth in Cleveland. We stopped it when I activated all the Potentials, turning them into Slayers, but we lost Spike... he died sealing the Hellmouth."
Knowing how much Xander had hated Spike, it surprised her when he didn't gloat or do a dance of joy, "How did Buffy take it?" was all he said.
Willow took a deep breath, "It was hard on her. Cleveland happened right after the government declared the Arcadia and everyone with the mission, missing and presumed dead."
"Who else?" Dawn said, catching Willow by surprise with the forceful and mature tone she used.
"Things went downhill after that..." Willow sighed.
She told them about the attack on the White House, Boston, and everything else they had struggled against. She went through all the names of everyone they had lost.
Dawn shook her head sadly, trying to deal with everything Willow told them, "Angel... Principal Wood... So many gone."
She was about to say something when Cassie entered the corridor, making their way towards them.
Willow blinked in surprise... not from seeing Cassie, but at the little girl that was holding on to Cassie's hand, and trying to keep pace with her.
Willow stammered, staring at the little girl who had long blonde hair, "X-Xander... is she yours and-and...?"
Xander laughed, bending down to scoop up the little girl as Cassie joined the group, giving Willow a hug. The little girl wore a big smile as Xander held her proudly, "No, she isn't ours. Let me introduce you to Cassandra Bronowski," he boasted, sounding a little like his old self.
He whispered into Cassandra's ear, and at first the little girl shook her head, but after a little more urging, the little girl waved to Willow.
Willow absently waved back while staring at Xander, "Bronowski? You mean Anya and Lionel had a-a..."
Cassie chuckled at Willow's confusion, "Yeah, they got married just before we arrived at Tirol. They both decided that they wanted to be together no matter what happened. It was a beautiful shipboard ceremony. Admiral Coleiro performed the ceremony, Xander gave away the bride, and Dawn and I were bridesmaids."
"So where's Anya?" Willow said, wondering why Anya wasn't here to greet her with Cassandra. The pained expressions filling everyone's faces caught her by surprise and made her instantly regret asking the question.
"She and Lionel are both dead," Xander said in a flat voice.
The news hit Willow like a hammer, "How?" she stammered.
Xander shook his head, "Not here... let's go grab a coffee or something to drink. There's a cafeteria on the main floor."
Willow, still struggling with this news, nodded numbly, and followed the group down the corridor.
oOoOo
Xander and Willow sat together while Cassie, Dawn and Samantha played with and entertained Cassandra at the other end of the cafeteria table they were using.
Willow couldn't believe how much the little girl looked like Anya. She studied Xander's face as he watched the young girl squeal and giggle from all the attention she was getting.
"What is she... two?" Willow said.
A wistful smile etched Xander's face, "Almost two and a half," he replied.
The smile faded, "She was six months old when it happened. Anya was a med-tech... a pretty good one. She volunteered to set up a support base on some remote out of the way planet. Lionel was on the mission's security detail. Hell, it wasn't even a military base. It was going to be for refugees."
His face hardened, "A whole god-damned Haydonite task force dropped in on them! They didn't stand a chance."
Xander's entire body was vibrating with anger. He took a deep breath, "I saw the relief force's mission report. They found Lionel... they counted thirty-five of those damned Reavers around his body!"
The anger shocked Willow. She'd never seen Xander like this before. Even though she was curious about what a "Reaver" was, she didn't interrupt as he continued.
"Everyone assumed Anya and a few others died during the attack. We only found out later what happened to them after we liberated Praxis. The people told us the Haydonites brought a half-dozen of our people there. They interrogated Anya and the rest for weeks. The Haydonites aren't subtle or nice with their methods. One of the Praxians being held in the same detention block communicated with Anya and the others. Apparently, the Haydonites weren't only asking questions about our forces, they wanted to know everything about our command structure and commanders, especially Admiral Coleiro. Anya fought to hold out, but they finally broke her..." Xander said, glancing at Cassandra.
Willow saw the anger and pain boiling beneath the surface as he continued, "She was a good mom. I remember when she found out she was pregnant, she was so scared. At first, she referred to Cassandra as 'that parasite growing inside her'. By the time the baby arrived, she was calling Cassandra 'her parasite'."
Xander paused again, and Willow saw the tears welling up in his real eye, "When those bastards had gotten everything out of her and the others..."
Willow took his hand, giving him a comforting squeeze, "She must have realized the end was coming. Somehow, she found something to write on. She wrote two letters and got the Praxian to hide them for her. One was asking if I would look after Cassandra for her and Lionel, and to tell her about them. The other letter is for Cassandra. I'll give it to her when she's older and can understand it."
Tears filled Willow's eyes at having lost another friend, "Does Cassandra stay with you and Cassie?" she said.
Xander snorted, "Can't have a kid running around on a cruiser in a combat zone. She stays with a family here on Tirol when Cassie and I are off planet. They're good people and treat her like one of their own. Plus, if something happened to Cassie or me..." he trailed off, looking at Cassie and Cassandra.
Willow nodded, "You know she's taken care of."
Anger flashed across Xander's face, "Yeah, but that's not going to happen...! I'm going to be around till the end."
Again, Xander's anger shocked Willow. She'd never seen him this angry, even when things were at their worst in Sunnydale, "Xander, maybe you should—"
He cut her off, "Let it go! I'm not going to let it go! You have no idea what those sons of bitches did to Anya and the others...! What they do to us, organics! You want to know what they did to Anya? What they did to that little girl's mother?" he snapped.
He didn't wait for an answer from Willow, "The Haydonites are a cybernetic life form. They require a fluid to interface and operate their machine parts and biological parts together. Their bodies can't make this fluid, so they harvest other species to make this 'blood' for themselves."
A mix of disgust, fear and disbelief filled Willow. Her emotions paled to Xander's anger now bubbling up to the surface, "Those bastards are no better than the vampires and demons we faced back home! When we crush their forces, I'm going to be there at the end. I'm going to kick back, pour myself a drink, smoke a cigar and freaking cheer while we burn their planet to a crisp cinder!"
Willow didn't recognize this angry Xander from the person she'd grown up with.
Xander continued ranting, "Hell, Anya would probably be still alive, and the war over if we'd gone back to Earth like we originally planned! Instead, his holier than thou Supreme Grand friggin' Admiral Coleiro kept us here!"
Willow stared at her friend in shock. Before she could say anything Xander stood up, acting as if everything was normal, "Cassie and I need to get back to the Arcadia. We have to drop off Cassandra first. You can walk with us if you want."
oOoOo
Willow walked with the other women, watching Xander walk ahead with Cassandra, holding her hand. Anya's death still shocked her, but that shock was mild compared to seeing the amount of anger and hate Xander was carrying around.
Cassie saw Willow's expression, and answered her unspoken question, "I know... he's not the same Xander I met six years ago. He's still in there. But this war has taken so much out of all of us," she said, her voice tinged with sadness.
"Is it true what he said? You guys were planning to come back home?" Willow said.
Cassie sighed, "Yeah, after we took Optera the plan was to send the Arcadia home with information about the Haydonite threat. The Admiral was going to mobilize the planet to bring Earth's resources into the war. We were all set and packed to go home."
"What changed?" Samantha said.
Cassie shrugged, "I have no idea. All I've heard is that the Admiral had some last minute meeting with the Invid Regess. The next day he's assembling everyone and telling us we're not going home. We're going to stay here and fight because the risk of leading the enemy home was too great. I guess that didn't work out so well," she said tiredly.
Samantha frowned, "Yeah, I guess it didn't," she said, wondering why General Coulson didn't mention this in their meeting.
Dawn chimed in, "Your arrival isn't going to help the situation."
Both Samantha and Willow eyed Dawn in surprise, "How's that?" Samantha said.
"Until now, everyone thought to get home we had to win this war... no space-fold coordinates to use. Now that you're here, the Valley Forge will have those coordinates, and word of the Haydonite invasion of Earth is spreading," Dawn answered.
"She's right," Cassie added, nodding her head, "Most people will stay to finish the job. But there's a lot of people who want to go home... even if it means having to through a Haydonite fleet."
oOoOo
"Fleet status, Captain?"
"The 3rd Fleet has arrived in system and is chasing down stragglers, we estimate less than seven enemy ships escaped the system. We have confirmed initial fleet damage and casualty reports... fifteen percent losses in material and eight percent in personnel. The 7th Marine division reports they have secured all their objectives on the planet."
"Casualties?"
"I have the numbers here, if you want to look, sir," Wright said, holding out the tablet.
Taking the tablet, Fleet Admiral Paul Coleiro sighed, leaning back in his chair, glancing at the information on the screen. Again, questions about whether he'd made the right decisions and choices lingered in his thoughts. They could have leveled the planet from orbit, but they needed it for a forward staging base, meaning they had to take it the hard way.
"Any news from the 2nd Fleet in the Beta Persei system?" Paul said wearily, setting down the tablet on his desk.
James nodded, "Yes, sir. Rear-Admiral Ergan reports they have secured the system, but they took heavy casualties."
This news caught Paul by surprise, "Ergan? What happened to Admiral Pavonan?"
A grim expression filled James's face, "Sir, Admiral Pavonan's flagship took heavy damage in the fighting... he's dead."
Paul sighed again, his thoughts on the Tirolian Admiral, who he'd known since the liberation of Tirol. He always had a standing invitation at Pavonan's house for dinner when they were ever together on Tirol. Paul always enjoyed those visits, and the time spent around the Tirolian's family. Those visits made him feel almost normal and making him wish for things he could never have.
A depressing resignation filled Paul, Another name to add to my list, he thought.
James let the Admiral have a moment before continuing, "Sir? Sir, what are your orders?"
Paul brushed aside the questions, regrets, and doubts to focus on the matter at hand, "Tell Admiral Ergan we expect the 9th Grand Fleet to counter-attack her position. She's to hold the system until reinforced."
"Yes, sir!"
"Contact the 4th Fleet. Light a fire under Admiral Coshav and tell him to get his ass to Beta Persei to reinforce the 2nd ASAP. Understood?"
"Yes, sir! Anything else, sir?"
Paul considered the question and the current strategic situation, "Yes, James. Contact the 5th Fleet, Send Admiral Baltan my compliments... tell her that 'Majestic' is now in effect."
Wright's tried to hide his surprise at the Admiral's orders, "Sir! You sure you want to implement 'Operation Downfall'? Isn't it too early?"
Paul considered the question, noting James eyeing him with concern. He appreciated the Captain's advice and counsel, but he had access to insights the Captain didn't have and wouldn't understand, "James, we've got those bastards on the run! This is not the time to let up on the pressure. If we do this right, we can get ourselves into position for an assault on Haydon IV earlier than planned," he said, adding a small smile.
"Yes, sir. It's just that we haven't replaced our losses yet. The 2nd Fleet got mauled in their victory, and we're already ahead of schedule for our offensive. I'm just concerned we might overextend ourselves and get caught with our pants around our ankles... and not in a fun way," James cautioned.
Paul chuckled at the Captain's choice of words, "Duly noted, Captain. Is there any update on the position and status of the 12th Grand Fleet?"
James nodded, "Intel still has the 12th in position guarding Haydon IV. They have made no moves. Signal intercepts indicate they aren't preparing to sortie."
Paul rubbed his chin while considering this information, "Now, that's what bothers me."
"Sir?"
Paul sensed he was missing something, "You know when we wargamed this operation out, we expected the 12th to lead the counter-attack. Either moving against us here in Leonis Prime or hooking up with their 9th Fleet to take back Beta Persei."
A sudden worry gripped James, "Yes, sir, but maybe they didn't want to risk the 12th? Maybe they thought their system defense forces could stop us, or they're going to make a move against us somewhere else?"
A grim expression now filled Paul's face, "The 12th is one of their few remaining offensive fleets left, commanded by one of their best. To leave them orbiting their homeworld, twiddling their thumbs while we push the initiative, that's—"
"Worrisome, sir," James said, mirroring the Admiral's grim expression.
Paul nodded, "Yes, Captain. That is most worrisome."
oOoOo
Paul was still reviewing reports long after he'd dismissed James. The lack of enemy response to this latest offensive still bothered him.
He leaned back in his chair to give his eyes a rest. There was still the occasional throb of pain from the old injury he'd suffered fighting the Invid years ago. But he hadn't needed to wear an eye patch in years, having recovered most of the vision in his left eye. This miraculous recovery was due more to his exposure to the Flower of Life than medical science.
He closed his eyes to relax, slowing his breathing while he cleared his mind of the noise, hoping The Shapings would give him some insight. It had been years since he'd had a full vision... not since that meeting with the Regess, setting him on this path. Even though he wasn't having full visions, he still got flashes... premonitions of things happening or things that might happen.
Winning this war and keeping her safe is all that matters...
What the Regess had shown him was what had kept him going over the years, despite the reoccurring nightmares and through all the fighting, pain and losses they'd suffered.
I've already seen Earth burn once before... not again!
She had shown him what would happen if he'd returned to Earth like he'd planned. He thought because he knew what would happen he could change it, but there was no reasoning or begging that could change what The Shapings foretold. The Regess made it clear... if he returned home Faith would die.
The Regess showed him the path he needed to take, and the price he would pay. She didn't force him, telling him the choice was his to make.
But when he looked into The Shapings, he only saw darkness and uncertainty with brief incomprehensible flashes of the future. For the first time, he balked in the face of the unknown. What scared him the most was the uncertainty, not knowing if by choosing this path it would save Faith. All he knew was that by returning to Earth, he would guarantee her death.
Between those two choices, Paul elected to find a third option. He realized it was a compromise fraught with its own risks and uncertainty, but what other choice did he have.
Even with this decision, The Shapings let him know there would be consequences for his "third option". They gave him glimpses of the future where Faith would end up with another man, and he would die in the final assault on the Haydon homeworld. He reconciled himself to this fate, if it meant keeping Faith safe.
As his body relaxed, his mind drifted, free of all the noise and encumbrances. He felt The Shapings reaching out to him... wanting to show him something important.
The beeping from his communications console on his desk brought him crashing back to reality. As the console continued beeping, Paul swore as the vibe faded. He took a deep breath to push away his frustration and anger before answering his console.
"Coleiro, here."
"Sorry to disturb you, sir, but we have an urgent message coming in from General Coulson."
This caught Paul by surprise. The Arcadia's battle group was returning to Tirol after conducting hit-and-run raids on Haydonite outposts in outlying sectors. For Coulson to be contacting him meant something serious was happening. He activated his video screen and Coulson's face filled the screen. The General's expression did nothing to calm his unease.
"General, what can I do for you?"
"Admiral, there's been a development..."
Paul listened as Coulson briefed him on the situation... the arrival of the Valley Forge, the Haydonite attack, and the current situation on Earth. He struggled to rein in his emotions as he digested this news.
"It looks like we'll need to review our SIGINT and ELINT processes. Our Intelligence still shows the 12th Fleet in orbit around Haydon IV," Paul said, shaking his head in frustration.
Coulson nodded, "Yes, sir. The move caught me by surprise."
Paul took a deep breath to keep his frustration and anger at bay, while eyeing Coulson's face on the video screen, "So what's your take on this move, General?"
"I don't know how they found Earth. They are either trying to open a new front in the war or throw off our offensive with a spoiling attack," Coulson replied.
Paul took a moment to consider the General's appraisal of the situation, "They must realize we could still continue our advance into their core systems. There must be some goal behind this move."
Light years away, Coulson studied the Admiral's face. He was familiar with Paul's tells by now, and recognized that the Admiral had already decided, "Sir, you're not going to send fleet units to support Earth?"
Paul shook his head, "General, you're very aware of our current availability of forces. The 2nd Fleet got hammered hard in their victory, and I've given word to the 5th Fleet to proceed with 'Operation Downfall'."
This news caught Coulson off-guard, "Sir, isn't it a little premature to be implementing 'Downfall'?"
"General, I've already looked at all the strategic implications and I consider the risks within acceptable limits."
"Yes, sir, but what about Earth? Are we going to help them?" Coulson pleaded, trying to keep his growing frustrations in check.
"What do you want to do, General?"
Coulson took a deep breath, "I need the 21st and 22nd reconnaissance flotillas to send into the Sol system to give us more intel. I need more fleet units to reinforce and build up my battle group to take on the Haydonite fleet. The 6th Marine division is here on Tirol, and we've got enough lift capability to move the entire division and supporting Destroids units to Earth in one fold."
Paul rubbed the bridge of his nose, digesting Coulson's requests, "General... Phil... I understand what you're saying. I can't give you the 21st and 22nd. They're already allocated to the 5th Fleet. If I had any spare forces available, I would divert them to retake Earth, but we're already stretched with our offensives and protecting our current holdings. We need to keep the pressure on those bastards. If we give them a chance to rebuild their fleets, it will cost us more."
"Sir, what about getting the ships used for planetary defense released for my use?"
Paul sighed, feeling himself being pulled in all directions, "Phil, now you're just grasping at straws. The largest class in those system defense fleets are battleships, and the biggest ship in your battle group is the Arcadia. Even with fighter support, you'll be going up against dreadnoughts, for God's sake! Besides, those fleets aren't under my control. If you want them released, you're going to have to ask the Alliance Council to release them to you."
"Sir, if I can get the Council to give me those ships, and I put together a viable operations plan, will you let me go back to Earth?"
Paul didn't give the General much chance for success, but he realized they would have to respond to this Haydonite move. Even if all they accomplished was damaging the Haydonite fleet and freezing them in place, it would make their job here easier.
"Okay, Phil. You can begin planning your operation with the proviso you get Council approval to release those ships. I will designate your force as 7th Fleet with you as commander."
A tired smile filled Coulson's face, "Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!"
"Don't get too far ahead of yourself, General," cautioned Paul, "I want to see your operations plan along with all data and intel that you have for my review. I also get final approval for your operation... understood?"
"Understood, sir!" Coulson said, ending the call.
oOoOo
At his desk, Coulson leaned back in his chair, staring at the blank communications screen. Thoughts swirled in his head as he considered the logistics and planning required for the operation he had in mind.
There was a lot to do, and he realized the longer he delayed the more Earth would suffer. But you couldn't throw together an operation like this, you needed planning and time if there was going to be any chance of success. The first thing was to get some rest, then assemble his staff in the morning to break the news to them.
They would have to look at what forces were already in the Tirol system while he got ready to go to the Alliance Council. The presentation would make or break this operation.
At least I have something positive to tell Samantha and the others, he thought, getting up to move over to his couch to grab some rest.
While lying on his couch, Coulson found rest difficult with his head a whirlwind of thoughts. At the forefront of his thoughts was what Samantha had told him about what was happening back home with Kinsey in charge. Questions and doubts needled him, but his brain finally settled down to a point that sleep finally came. Even then, one last thought poked through...
I'm surprised the Admiral didn't ask about Faith? I would have thought he would have at least asked if she was still alive...