(updated 04-29-2021)
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Conjugal visits could be fun
"Out of the group, I think only Aaron, James, Rachel and myself really understood the risks we were taking by going to Optera. Aaron's orders were to take the Arcadia to Tirol, they didn't specify a route or arrival time. It was a very loose interpretation of orders that a court-martial board wouldn't approve of. Even with the threat of jail hanging over us, we still went… there was no real discussion needed. I understood why Aaron and James would have crawled over glass for the Admiral… I have to admit I would have too. I thought I had learned everything there was about duty and sacrifice from my sister. All those years serving with him, against the Haydonites, taught me I still had a lot to learn…"
— Dawn Summers-Hanson
oOoOo
Buffy was waiting in the corridor when Faith exited the cabin, "We're going to fold soon," she said.
Buffy read the angst on Faith's face, and immediately worried, "You okay?"
Faith shook her head tiredly, "I need a drink."
Buffy immediately realized the cause of Faith's angst, "I take it, you told Alex then?"
Faith sighed, "Yeah, he needed to know… I wanted him to know who his father was."
"How did he take it?"
Faith shrugged, "He was quiet and I'm not sure if he understood everything I told him, but I think he'll be okay."
"You told him everything else?"
Faith let out another sigh, "Yeah, I told him I was going down to Optera, and he was staying up here with Rachel and Giles."
"And how did he take it?"
Faith hesitated, shifting her eyes away quickly, which Buffy picked up on, "Faith, you told Alex about the risks? Right?"
"N–No… I didn't say anything directly," Faith muttered.
It was Buffy's turn to sigh, "Dammit, Faith!"
Faith held up her hands defensively, "Honest, I wanted to tell him, but he's already had a lot dumped on him. Besides, I think he senses something's up. He hugged me and told me everything would be alright."
Buffy wasn't happy while shaking her head slowly, but accepted Faith's reasoning.
"That's some kid, you got there," she said, with a tint of envy coloring her voice.
A tired smile flashed across Faith's face, "Yeah, he is pretty special."
"Do you want to grab a coffee before the ship folds?" Buffy said.
"Sure, maybe we can find something to 'Irish' up that coffee?" Faith laughed.
Buffy laughed, shaking her head, "I think James has something packed away."
The women headed down the corridor to the Arcadia's main cafeteria.
Buffy eyed Faith, giving her a smirk, "When you said okay, didn't you mean to say 'five-by-five'?"
Faith snorted, smiling at the jab, "Don't be a smartass."
"I always wondered what that meant." Buffy said, still smirking.
A small smile filled Faith's face, "It was something I heard once, and it sounded cool. I never thought it really meant anything. Funny, it was Paul that told me what it actually meant," her smile faded at mentioning his name.
"You'll find him," Buffy reassured her as they continued down the corridor.
oOoOo
In an empty corner of the Tzuptum system, the Arcadia ripped a hole through the fabric of the space-time continuum emerging back into normal space. On the ship's bridge, Aaron quickly regained his senses and focus, "Status?"
"The board is green," Dawn reported from her station.
Aaron nodded, "Helm, can you confirm our location?"
"Yes, sir. NAV computer confirms we're in the Tzuptum system."
A crewman reported, "Sir! Sensors are picking huge numbers of ships in orbit around Optera. Computer has ID'd them as them Invid. We're also picking up several IFF transponders… They're Alliance!"
Aaron looked over at Dawn, "Those must be the ships helping with the evacuation. Well, If we can see them, they can probably see us," he said, getting a nod from Dawn in return.
Aaron turned to James, and the others assembled behind his bridge station, "Well, sir. How do you want to play this?"
James studied the main display board, showing the icons of all the ships in orbit, "We go in nice and slow," he said, rubbing his chin.
Aaron eyed James, "Sir, you're aware the problem won't be with the Invid."
James snorted, recalling the dressing down he'd received when he asked Alliance Command to take the Arcadia to Optera. The orders from command had been quite explicit in that whatever was happening on the planet, the Alliance would not get involved or interfere. The Alliance's priority was to evacuate all personnel by the deadline the Invid had imposed.
"Yeah, we can only hope those Alliance ships don't realize we're here against orders and they don't call command and check."
Aaron studied the main display screen, again noting the locations of the Alliance ships. Even though he realized they would probably face a court-martial for insubordination and disobeying orders, he didn't want things to get worse if he could help it.
"And if they check? What then?" Aaron said, glancing at James.
"One problem at a time, Captain," James sighed, briefly wondering what he would do after his inevitable court-martial and dismissal from the service.
oOoOo
The Arcadia made its insertion into Optera's orbit smoothly. As expected, the other Alliance ships hailed the Arcadia. Fortunately, with the Alliance ships busy with the evacuation, they accepted the cover story Aaron fed them that the Arcadia was here to assist with the evacuation if needed.
James, Dawn, Buffy and Faith gathered on the hanger deck, preparing to take a shuttle down to the planet's surface. While Faith, Buffy and Dawn oversaw the loading of Cyclones into the shuttle's cargo bay, James paced the deck, waiting to board.
Several items of concern caused his anxious pacing… The main issue was their somewhat lack of a plan once they got down to the planet. They had few details regarding the Invid transformation beyond that it was going to happen. At least the evacuation deadline gave them a rough guesstimate of how much time they had left, but that was about it.
Then there was Buffy's insistence on accompanying Faith while she searched for Paul. They had no information about where Paul was on the planet or even where to start their search. Even if they found him, then there was still recovering everyone and getting them back to the Arcadia.
James realized their chances of finding one man on an entire planet were next to none. Yet, even if there was a slim chance of finding Paul and bringing him home, James would not turn his back on it. He hoped Faith and Buffy weren't going on some hopeless mission, putting themselves in danger.
James noticed the women had finished with the loading of the Cyclones. He signaled them to join him before they boarded the shuttle. The women met him at the shuttle's loading ramp, giving him their undivided attention.
"When we get down there, let me do all the talking," James said, noting their nods of acknowledgement.
Dawn eyed the group. She'd also been worrying about the lack of a plan, "So, what's the plan when we get down there?"
Faith shrugged her shoulders, shaking her head hesitantly, "I'm not sure… We could ask around and see if anyone has seen Paul."
Her response along with knowing it was only a matter of time before one of the Alliance ships reported the Arcadia's presence caused James's doubts and anxiety to grow.
Faith saw his doubt, and it struck a nerve, "It's not like we have time to put up 'LOST' posters and wander around calling his name," she snapped.
Buffy stepped in before things got out of hand, "It's okay. We'll start at the base and ask around there. I'm sure they must have some information on the Regent's whereabouts? Right, James?" she said, giving him a look he was familiar with.
James took a deep breath, "Yeah, if we find the base Intelligence Officer, he might have some info or leads to help get us going in the right direction."
oOoOo
A scene of organized chaos greeted Faith as she walked down the shuttle's loading ramp. It seemed as if the flight down to the planet had taken an eternity, but Faith understood it was a trick of the mind. Yet, that did little to lessen the tension gripping her or ease her frayed nerves.
All around their shuttle landing pad, Alliance personnel were scrambling to load equipment and people on to the evacuation shuttles. A steady stream of shuttles was flying in and out of the base.
A sense of overwhelming helplessness gripped Faith, and she glanced over at Buffy, Dawn and James for direction on what to do next.
Buffy gave her a sympathetic smile, but James's attention was on something else. Faith saw two Alliance officers moving through the chaos, heading directly towards them. Faith and Buffy hung back as James, with Dawn at his side, stepped out to meet the approaching officers.
The two officers came to attention in front of James, each giving him crisp salutes. Dawn responded in kind, coming to attention and returning the salutes to the senior officers.
"Sir!"
"At ease," James said, returning their salutes.
"Sir, I'm Colonel Terrell, base commander and military liaison. This is my aide, Captain Kurri."
James nodded, studying both officers carefully, "Colonel, what's your status?"
The Colonel maintained a neutral expression, but his eyes were studying the Admiral and his party, "It'll be close, but we should have the evacuation completed within the deadline. I am surprised by your visit, sir. We didn't receive any notification of the Arcadia being assigned to the evacuation."
Faith watched the Colonel and glanced at Buffy, giving her a worried expression. Buffy gave her a small shake of the head, telling her to keep playing it cool.
James's poker-face was in play, "You know how things go. The Arcadia was on its way to Tirol, and we got orders to divert here. We're to provide any assistance if needed."
James paused, and then flashed a grin, "I'm glad to hear you have things in hand, Colonel. That should make things easy for us."
Colonel Terrell's eyes turned towards Buffy and Faith, shifting back to James, "Sir?" he said, the question obvious by his tone.
James maintained his casual air, "We'll stay out of your hair, Colonel. We don't want to interfere with the smooth running operation you've got in place, but we'll stay on the surface to coordinate if you need our help."
The officers stood to attention, saluting, "Yes, sir!" the Colonel said.
The officers turned around and headed back in the direction they came, towards a large building at the center of the base.
James noted the fast pace they were making back to the building. He made sure they were out of earshot before he said anything, "How long?"
Dawn sighed, shaking her head, "Ten minutes max… fifteen if we're lucky."
"We're not that lucky," James muttered.
Buffy and Faith moved up to join James and Dawn, "What's wrong?" Buffy said.
"We're blown! The Colonel is heading to check on us with Alliance Command. We won't have time to unload your Cyclones," James breathed in frustration.
"So, what now?" Faith said, glancing towards the two officers, moving further away.
James didn't hesitate, "Time to improvise! Head to the vehicle storage area, over there," he said, gesturing towards a building, "There should be some Cyclones there. You won't have time to armor up. Just grab them and go! Dawn and I will head over to the main administration building. Hopefully, we can find something or someone to help us. We'll worry about getting any info we find to you later. The priority is to get you two off this base!"
oOoOo
Buffy and Faith didn't hesitate, hurrying off towards the vehicle area. James and Dawn waited a moment, keeping a watch over the Slayers before making their way to the main administration building.
Buffy and Faith drew a few curious and questioning looks from the base's personnel, but everyone was too busy with the evacuation to worry about two civilians.
The women entered the vehicle area, making a quick check to only find no Cyclones. It didn't take long to realize why they didn't see any Cyclones.
"Dammit!" Faith swore.
They saw stacks of Cyclones folded up into cubes—switched into storage mode—making them easier to load and transport.
A desperate, frustrated sigh escaped Faith, "It'll take too long and draw too much attention to switch them back into cycle mode."
"Hang on," Buffy said, nodding towards another part of the vehicle storage area.
Faith saw where Buffy was nodding. Her eyes locked on the Cyclone parked in a maintenance bay. The women nonchalantly made their way over to the Cyclone.
Faith did a quick look over of the Cyclone, "There's only the one and it has no Protoculture cell!" she muttered.
Buffy was already on the problem, nodding towards a storage rack, "The cells are over there."
The storage rack was at the center of a hive of activity taking place in the vehicle area.
Faith shook her head, studying the layout and the positions of all the base personnel, "They're not going to let us stroll up and just take a cell. Even if we get a cell, we still only have one Cyclone."
Buffy turned, meeting Faith's eyes, "I'll keep everyone busy while you grab the cell and ride out of here," she whispered.
"Buffy… you can't!"
"No, Buffy's… No, buts… You grab the energy cell and haul ass out of here!"
The anguish was clear on Faith's face, "I-I can't leave you behind."
Buffy gave Faith a soft, reassuring smile, "Hey, it's not like we're fighting vampires. I'll run interference and when you take off, I'll hightail it back to the shuttle. Okay?"
Buffy saw that Faith still appeared unconvinced, "Faith, you have to do this! You find Paul and bring him home… for you and Alex!"
Faith slowly nodded. She didn't like it, but she understood what needed to be done.
"Okay, let's go! Nice and casual," Buffy smiled, taking the lead as they made their way over to the Protoculture energy cell storage rack.
"Just like old times," Faith muttered.
Buffy gave Faith a quizzical glance, "I don't recall us ever stealing vehicles from the military on alien planets?"
Faith smirked, "I wasn't talking about us… I used to boost cars back in Boston before becoming a Slayer."
"I'm sure Alex would like to hear about that side of you when he gets older," Buffy teased, adding a smirk.
"Don't you dare!" Faith said, glaring at Buffy before breaking into a small smile. She was thankful for the small talk. It calmed her nerves as they approached the storage rack.
Faith eyed the soldier closest to them and the storage rack, "You ready?"
Buffy nodded, "I'm good. I'll go distract that soldier… wait a few seconds and then make your move. Hopefully, he won't notice and you can get to the bike and get out of here."
Faith smirked, "You know we're not that lucky."
"Yeah, I know," Buffy sighed, moving towards the soldier.
Buffy was figuring on how she was going to play this out as she approached the soldier. She went with her God-given assets, tugging her bodysuit down and pulling the front zipper slightly down to reveal a little more cleavage.
"Uh… Hi, there!" she said, waving and bending over slightly to catch the young soldier's attention.
She noted his surprised confusion, "Ma'am, this is a restricted area! Authorized personnel only!" the soldier said, moving towards Buffy.
Ma'am? He called me ma'am!
Buffy's eyes narrowed. Seeing her sex appeal was being wasted, she switched over to her other ploy… the helpless blonde.
She put on a confused face, "I know! I was with my fiancé and I seem to have lost him in all the confusion. Perhaps you can help me? He would be really appreciative."
The soldier eyed her skeptically as he approached, "And who is your fiancé?"
"Admiral James Wright," she said, trying not to laugh as the name registered and surprise and shock filled the soldier's face.
"Uh… Y-Yes, ma'am!" the soldier stuttered, jumping to attention, realizing the world of hurt he would suffer if he let anything happen to the Admiral's fiancée.
"If you'll follow me, ma'am. I'll take you to my commanding officer… he'll make sure to— HEY, GET AWAY FROM THERE! YOU'RE NOT AUTH—"
Buffy swore, but didn't hesitate, grabbing the soldier and flipping him over her shoulder. The soldier grunted as his body slammed into the floor.
Buffy stepped back, catching sight of Faith sprinting back to the Cyclone with the energy cell in hand. All the nearby soldiers and technical personnel stood frozen, gaping at the sudden unprovoked attack. Their shock quickly wore off, and they made their move, rushing towards Buffy, but with a few chasing after Faith.
The soldier, she'd flipped, was groggily sitting up. Buffy didn't stand around and wait, letting her instincts and experience guide her. She stepped towards the dazed soldier, and punched him in the head, putting him back down.
"That's for calling me, Ma'am!" Buffy muttered, sprinting towards the soldiers chasing Faith.
She bowled into the soldiers, sending them sprawling. Their attention was now on the more immediate threat. They tried to tackle and subdue Buffy, but she sidestepped them, sending them to the ground with punches or kicks. She struggled to hold back her blows. The last thing she wanted to do was seriously hurt or kill anyone.
More soldiers joined the fray, rushing in from other parts of the vehicle area. It was only when she caught the sound of a Cyclone's engine roaring Buffy realized it was time for her to leave.
The sound of squealing tires reverberated through the area, drowning out soldiers' shouts as they belatedly realized that Buffy was only a distraction. Buffy caught sight of Faith peeling away on the Cyclone.
You go, girl! Don't look back!
Buffy used the momentary indecision and hesitation by the soldiers as they watched the Cyclone race away to break off her fight.
Now, time to find me an exit, she thought, sprinting away, leaving a confused and thoroughly bruised and beaten up group of soldiers in her wake.
oOoOo
Faith struggled to keep her focus on the road as she raced through the base. She'd seen Buffy take on the soldiers, and a wave of guilt gripped her, knowing she'd left Buffy behind. Despite all the years of differences, arguments and fighting, Buffy was still a part of the small group which she called family.
She swore, swerving as she narrowly missed a vehicle pulling out in front of her. If she wasn't going to make Buffy's sacrifice a vain one, then she needed to focus on her driving.
Faith gunned the Cyclone's accelerator, increasing speed, turning all her attention to avoiding the people and traffic around her. Thankfully, she'd found a helmet with the Cyclone, so she didn't have to deal with the wind or dirt blowing in her face.
She caught sight of the base's entrance. A sudden worry filled her about how she was going to get past the gate barricade. If she'd been in Cyclone armor, she could have transformed into battloid mode, easily vaulting the base fence or gate.
Now she had no other option but to hit the gate. This time, fortune smiled on her. A truck was approaching to enter the base and the base's gate was opening. Faith gunned the throttle, racing to close the distance, realizing she would only have one chance.
Her timing and reflexes were perfect, slowing her Cyclone just enough to swerve, avoiding the truck and the frantic base guards trying to stop her.
In a flash, she was through the gate, racing into the open countryside. Faith screamed a rebel yell, while gunning the throttle, putting more distance between her and the Alliance base.
oOoOo
It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was happening as wailing alarms filled the air. James and Dawn were in the base's main administration building, looking for any information about the Regent and his location.
"Sir, we should head back to the shuttle?" Dawn whispered urgently as base personnel rushed around in response to the alarms.
James nodded, realizing they couldn't hang around. They hadn't been able to find any information they could use. Despite the urge to keep digging, the last thing they needed was to be detained for questioning.
They made an unobtrusive exit from the building, taking a circuitous route back to the shuttle to avoid attracting any further unwanted attention.
On their journey back, they caught tidbits about the fight in the vehicle storage area and that someone had stolen a Cyclone and made it out the main gate.
They made it back to the shuttle with no problems. As they made their way up the shuttle ramp, a sense of frustration and worry gripped James. He could only wonder and worry about Buffy as he stood at the top of the shuttle ramp, taking in the chaotic scene around him.
Dawn drew his attention to an approaching group of soldiers, "Sir, we've got trouble!"
James noted the unhappy-looking Colonel Terrell, leading a group of armed soldiers, across the landing area towards the shuttle.
James swore in frustration, realizing they were out of time. He hesitated, not wanting to abandon Buffy or Faith.
Dawn shook him out of his hesitation, "Sir, you understand we can't stay! Buffy and Faith will be alright. They can take care of themselves! We need to go back to the Arcadia and determine the situation. If we stay here, we won't be able to help them!"
James nodded, shaking his head in frustration, seeing the Colonel and his group closing the distance, "I know!"
He hated himself for the decision he had to make, "Damn it, where are you Buffy?" he muttered.
A voice from behind caused both Dawn and James to spin in surprise, "I'm right here," Buffy said, coming out from hiding inside the shuttle.
A relieved smile filled James's face as Buffy came up and hugged him. They wasted no more time, boarding the shuttle, and sealing the doors. James informed the shuttle pilots to make an emergency take-off.
Buffy, Dawn and James grabbed seats and strapped in as the shuttle's engines kicked in and prepared for an emergency dust off.
"I was worried," James said, giving Buffy a smile as the shuttle lifted off.
Buffy returned the smile, "I know."
Dawn weighed in, smirking, "Cutting it pretty close, sis? I take it Faith is the one on the Cyclone?"
Buffy nodded, "Do you know if she made it?"
James nodded, "Yeah, we overheard that someone blew through the main gate like a 'bat out of hell'."
Buffy exhaled a sigh of relief, "Are they going to chase after her?"
"No, they're too busy with the evacuation to send people out. They've got a deadline," James replied, shaking his head.
Buffy sighed again in relief, "Did you find anything about Paul?"
Dawn grimaced, shaking her head, "No, we didn't find anything."
Buffy eyed James, "What happens now?"
James considered the question. He had a pretty good idea what awaited them once they returned to the Arcadia.
"Well, I expect orders will be waiting by the time we get back to the Arcadia for us to leave the system. I also figure there will be orders relieving me of command and to have me thrown in the brig."
"We can't leave now!" Buffy exclaimed.
James nodded, "We're not going anywhere. We'll stay as long as we can to help Faith anyway we can."
A soft smile filled Buffy's face, "You know I love you… don't you?"
James snorted, smirking, "Just keep that in mind when I get sentenced at my court-martial."
Dawn sighed, shaking her head, "Maybe, Aaron and I can have adjoining cells."
"Well, at least you can look forward to the conjugal visits," Buffy replied, blowing James a kiss.