Eighteen
Waiting by the airlock controls as it cycled to free the next group of six; Ianto looked up and saw Commander Wilco by his elbow.
Wilco saluted. 'Captain Harkness advises I am to take over command of the rescue. He has also stated if you do not return on the very next shuttle he will send down a security team as an escort.'
Ianto looked up from the pad and raised his eyebrows. 'Did he? Listen, this is almost over. We are now clearing the last five cells of the second unit. This leaves the central section. So you can remain here and help or return and tell Captain Harkness I will return on the last shuttle...' A blaring alarm began to sound that was audible through the airlock.
The warning flashing on his pad told him the endgame had begun. With three stabs of his fingers Ianto enacted what was always going to be the final act in this unfolding drama. Pressing 'enter', Ianto directed the central control to turn off the main security system then open every door within the base.
'Commander Wilco, I hand over the running of the airlock to you,' Ianto commanded and held out the pad.
'What are you doing?' Wilco took the pad, confused.
'Owen Harper and Rupesh Patanjali, along with four patients, are currently in the sick bay. I need to co-ordinate their rescue and direct as many of the crew to this airlock as possible.'
'I don't think that was what Captain Harkness had in mind,' Wilco said, helping one of the rescued crew members who had just exited the airlock fit their breather.
'I have no time to argue.' Ianto stepped into the airlock.
'Let me come,' Olaf spoke for the first time in hours.
Ianto put his hand on the Olaf's shoulder. 'I can't ask any more of you. Coming with me is too great a risk. You wanted to go home be with your family. If the other slavers see you with me and things get rough you could lose your life.'
'Every act has been a risk. I can lead you directly to hospital area,' Olaf said, desperation clear in his voice. 'Let me repay your kindness for freeing me by helping the most vulnerable of your crew to get out of here.'
Ianto thought for a moment and then nodded. Olaf moved next to him in the airlock and the door sealed shut.
A deafening alarm shrieked out
'No guesses for what that means,' Rhys shouted out as he, along with eighteen others, stood trying to contain their impatience. Tosh was working to open the sealed door along the corridor they were travelling down. The base might be a run-down wreck but the only thing that seemed to work was the doors and the alarms Rhys told himself.
Tosh looked up from the panel she was working on and looked at the group who were gearing themselves up to fight. Discovery had always been an option but this time with the collars deactivated they were free to act. This time they were going to show the slavers exactly how hard Space Command could fight back. Tosh lifted the screwdriver to continue working when the door before, behind, left and right opened.
As the doors slammed open all of them could see corridors leading in four different directions. One looked more modern than the rest.
'Well done Tosh,' several of the group called out.
'I didn't do anything,' Tosh stated. 'Something seems to have triggered the doors to open.'
Rhys squeezed Gwen's arm. 'What are we waiting for? Let's get the bastards!'
'We don't have any weapons,' Martha pointed out.
'We have our bare hands and numbers. I say we give them a taste of a good old-fashioned Space Command arse whipping,' one of the rescue crew shouted over the alarm.
The group cheered just as the alarm went silent, replaced with the sound of pounding feet. Before they could react they found another group of escapee crew members had joined them. A moment passed with much back slapping and hugs.
Rhys pushed himself forward, Gwen clinging to him, and he pointed down the most modern corridor. 'The end of this corridor is where I'm heading. Who's with me?' Rhys shouted out and started running down the corridor screaming out a war cry. Seconds later the alarm began to ring out this time it was drowned out as the crew screamed their defiance and headed toward the centre of the base.
Their ears ringing Ianto and Olaf worked their way toward the centre. Two junctions across they found Marcus and Aashif with five crew members being led towards the airlock.
'Sir.' Marcus snapped a salute as Ianto approached.
'Have you seen any slavers?' Ianto asked
'None,' Aashif shouted just as the alarm went dead.
'Olaf, which way to the central control?' Ianto asked. Olaf pointed to the north corridor where sounds of battle could be clearly heard.
'Every door in this place has been opened, which means all remaining crew should now be free,' Ianto told them. 'Round up as many of the crew as you can. Find and assist those crew trying to take the base.' Ianto noted the rescued crew began to smile.
'Are you going to lead?' Marcus asked.
'I'm heading to the hospital area with Olaf to get Doctors Harper and Patanjali. There are four injured crew members who will need help to get away. Give us as much time as you can.'
'Will do Sir. Good luck!' Marcus called back as they both went their separate ways.
Owen heard the alarm and looked at Rupesh as a slaver burst in holding some kind of energy weapon. The slaver sneered and went to fire. Owen did the only thing he could and threw the instrument in his hands directly at the man. The man ducked then fired a shot towards him. Throwing himself to the ground the energy grazed Owen's back. Owen heard a crash; lifting his head he saw one of the patients throw a food tray. Enraged the slaver roared and went to fire again. Before Owen could get himself off the floor Rupesh launched himself and tackled the slaver to the ground. Within seconds Owen and Rupesh had hog-tied the slaver to the only spare bed.
'I'm not sure if throwing the food tray was an indication that you don't like the food or are feeling better?' Owen asked the tray thrower as he injected the slaver with a heavy sedative.
'Both,' the man said with a wide grin.
'Well we were warned about the consequences of any attempt to escape,' Owen repeated the dire consequences for any kind of resistance they had been given.
Owen had agreed. He had no choice; he had four patients. Two were walking wounded recovering from Rooopegask fever; the other two were in no condition to be taken anywhere unless it was directly to another sick bay.
Owen looked across at his two most critical patients. Aden and Suli, being twins, had been singled out for a brutal series of gang rapes and savage beatings. The disgusting event had been held during the celebration the slavers had partaken once the crew had been unloaded. Rape appeared to be a sport and both he and Rupesh had treated several young men and women for various injuries over the course of the week.
Owen moved over to the small supply cupboard and took several vials of sedatives he had prepared earlier then reloaded the hypo.
Rupesh armed himself and went to stand guard by the door.
'I'm off to join the fray and bring back help,' Owen told them.
Rupesh offered him the weapon. 'You keep that,' Owen said and opened the door very carefully and looked down the crack into the corridor. 'Keep safe and I will be back with help as soon as I can.'
Rupesh gave him the thumbs up and he opened the door wider.
Leading the charge Rhys screamed out the anger he had been holding since the ship had been taken. Two slavers appeared from a side passage and fired. They managed to get two shots out and Rhys saw two of the crew fall writhing to the ground.
Before the slavers could get a second shot they were run down and disarmed. The sounds Rhys heard sounded very disturbing on the other hand Rhys karma was painful and moved forward. Another slaver suddenly appeared; this time from the right. Seeing the mob approaching now armed the slaver started running in the opposite direction.
Following Olaf Ianto soon found himself disorientated. Even after all the hours he had spent looking at the map he was lost. All he could say was he was somewhere over to the right of central control.
'Olaf!' Ianto called out but Olaf kept walking. Ianto quickened his pace to catch up and tapped his shoulder. 'Olaf; how much further?'
Olaf turned. 'This is a short cut. Trust me,' he said with a smile.
Several more meters passed and Ianto saw signage by the entrance of a corridor that went left. He recognised the corridor from the map. 'Olaf,' Ianto called out to Olaf's back. 'You've missed the turn. If I recall correctly this corridor leads to Z section where the hospital is.'
Olaf turned and Ianto saw his face had become much harsher.
'Let me check,' he said marching back. Ianto moved aside as Olaf examined the signage. Moving to block the corridor Olaf turned to face Ianto. To his dismay Olaf held some kind of home made energy weapon.
'Well noted Commander, but we are not going to the hospital. We are going to the rift control. There we will depart to VegaValissian, where voluntarily or not you will give me the secrets of matter transportation. Then we will discover just how much your family loves you. How much will they be prepared to part with to get you back whole?' Olaf held out his hand. 'But first things first. I'll take that handy dandy gadget.'
Reaching into his pocket Ianto threw it towards Olaf who caught it one handed.
'Now what?' Ianto asked as Olaf pocketed the device.
'Now you will be a good commander do as you are told.' Olaf indicated to the left using the weapon.
'So you really did sell out your crew?' Ianto said shaking his head.
'I sold out my crew in a heartbeat to earn myself a new station in life.' Olaf grinned.
'New station in life!' Ianto retorted. 'I'm not sure it's all you were led to believe because I'm not sure there is any lower you can go.'
'Move,' Olaf ordered.
'You should know there is no way I am going to co-operate. If you fire I will be dead or a dead weight either way I am not going to place one foot in front of the other. '
'Brave words. Are you that prepared for death?' Olaf asked.
'I've just endured five years of hell and everything that made my life living was stripped from me: my health, the two people I held most dear in all this world. . I've been looking for a way out that doesn't require my hand. So do it.'
"I don't believe you,' Olaf said.
'Believe it. Death is a gift because I get to join them.'
'Them?' Olaf asked, not really caring but hoping the information could be used to force the Commander to move.
'You are not worthy of knowing their names,' Ianto spat in Olaf's direction.
'You're bluffing.'
'I ache for death. This way you've saved me from tying the rope myself. So go ahead. Pull the trigger because I am not going to replace one nightmare with another.'
Moments ticked past as the standoff continued.
'Fucking do it!' Ianto lunged towards Olaf. 'I have nothing to live for. Do it. DO IT!' he screamed.
Keeping his eyes on Ianto, his hand shaking, Olaf snapped the setting on the weapon from stun to kill and aimed.
A hiss seemed to come from nowhere. Olaf turned towards the noise then fell to his knees and collapsed to the floor.
Owen blew on his hypo like it was a weapon. 'Did you know I was known in medical circles as the fastest hypo on the western frontier?'
Ianto threw his arms around Owen in a massive hug.
'You didn't mean what you said did you?' Owen asked as they pulled apart.
'Death was preferable to whatever he had planned. I had to convince him I had nothing left to live for,' Ianto told him.
'What do we do with him?' Owen said, not completely convinced. Ianto picked up the weapon and turned the setting back to stun.
'First things first,' Ianto repeated Olaf's words then knelt down and went through Olaf's pockets. Finding the brooch he placed it on the floor. Taking the weapon he blasted it with energy. Now a brittle solid lump Ianto used the heel of his boot to shatter the object into several pieces.
'Him?' Owen pointed at Olaf.
'We leave him here. Either the slavers or some of his victims will find him; either way justice will be done,' Ianto pointed out.
'He's unconscious. If the crew find him they could mistake him for a captive,' Owen pointed out.
Ianto smiled and pulled the permanent marker he had in his pocket in case he needed to mark any walls. Turning Olaf over onto his back he wrote 'Slaver' in big black letters across the man's forehead.
'Very succinct,' Owen said as Ianto used a cable tie to secure Olaf's hands and feet.
'There's not enough room for 'traitorous, murderous sell out,' Ianto said as they heard a groan as Olaf began to return to the land of the living.
'You have four patients. I'm here to give you a hand,' Ianto said.
'Yes but we need more than just one other person,' Owen told him. The sounds of the fray echoed all around them as it travelled down the corridors.
'Have you seen Tosh?' Owen then asked after Ianto finished a quick check in with Commander Wilco.
Ianto touched Owen's shoulder and shook his head. 'Sorry. I think right now our best bet is join the battle. I would hate it if the crew failed for the want of two extra bodies,' Ianto said.
Owen gave a grim smile and together took off towards the noise.
John and ten others armed with every weapon they could get their hands on made good time towards the landing bay Command and control had been over-run. It didn't need a genius to figure out the slavers' next step would be to abandon the base by all and any means possible.
Just as they reached the connecting tunnel they heard the roar as one of the slavers' vessel's engines thundered into life and within seconds the vessel had lifted off. Howling, John lifted his weapon and fired upwards. It was a futile gesture; the ship was already out of range.
'Search the other vessel,' John commanded as he saw a frightened face trying to force the door of the second vessel closed.
Storming forward they tore at the door to prevent its closing. Thinking quickly John fired at the door control and it erupted and the cover blew off. Now the door was unresisting and the door slid open.
Owen and Ianto entered the Command and Control centre to see Rhys dragging a slaver by the hair assisted by several crew to join seven other capture slavers huddled against a wall, looking terrified.
From the activity it would appear the battle had only just ended because several of the crew were currently taking out their unused aggression on smashing equipment.
Owen looked wildly about for Tosh but there were so many of the crew in the space he couldn't see if she was there or not. He saw movement and took Tosh into his arms and she burst into tears.
'Ah pretty, I'm here now,' Owen soothed.
The battle over, exhaustion began to overtake the crew as the adrenaline that had given them the energy to fight faded.
Over the low hum of quiet voices and the occasional sob a squeal erupted from the group of crew to the left causing everyone to look in that direction.
'Oh Sir.' Ianto heard a woman's voice cry out. He saw a bedraggled crew member pushing people to the side to reach him. It was Bonnie. Ianto braced himself as she clamped her arms around him.
'I knew you would come for me,' Bonnie declared. 'I knew it.' Ianto, unsure of how to respond, lightly hugged her.
'See you do have something to live for after all,' Owen said in a stage whisper.
'Joy,' Ianto said through narrowed eyes and clenched teeth.
It took another hour to round up any remaining slavers. Most of the surviving slavers had been roughed up and were in a sorry state. . There were several fraught instances where the crew had to intervene to stop those crew members who wanted to exact their own form of justice on the slavers. One had even fashioned a sharp object and was prepared to operate on her abusers and damn the consequences.
There had been a tense standoff which only ended when Martha Jones pointed out that as tempting and satisfying as this form of retribution might be every crew member here were representatives of Space Command. Doing anything to harm their slaver prisoners would contravene every value they held and given their oath to uphold. Using any means possible to take the base did not give the crew licence to torture, no matter what the cause. They would be taken back and forced to face the full wrath of Space Command.
With the landing bay clear shuttles could land directly into the base. Escape from the base was swiftly executed.
The last to be loaded were the four crew from the hospital area. Ianto took a final look around and checked through the crew list with Martha. Every crew member had been accounted for. The final flight also included three other captives being held in the cells. Apparently the slave trade went both ways; these souls had been transported through the rift for sale on this side. The captives were rightly terrified. As far as they were concerned they were lost far home in an alien sector of space now seemingly prisoners of a new group. Martha did her best but only time and some linguistic help would resolve the fear.
Ianto hadn't seen Olaf amongst those slavers loaded on the second to last flight. No doubt true to his reptilian nature he had slithered off somewhere and was hiding somewhere in the base.
That would not save Olaf. Ianto's last act had been to leave a long an detailed account of just how Olaf had double-crossed his slaver masters in case they returned before Space Command got here. Either way, justice was coming either when Space Command cleaned up or by the slavers themselves. Once back in home space it would be his pleasure to ensure he could never show his face in again.
As the door of the shuttle closed Ianto settled onto the floor next to Martha.
'It's a pity we can't blow the entire base to smithereens,' she said as the shuttle lifted off.
Ianto nodded. 'My life for a few pounds of high explosive. I should tell you my last act was to open all the airlocks. Rhys and his team did a great job of destroying their equipment so the base will be un-useable for the foreseeable future.
'What about the rift control?' Martha asked as they hit the atmosphere.
'That we left intact.'
'Won't they be able to access the base?'
Ianto smiled and threw her what looked like a multi-legged insect. 'It's some form of organic technology that's beyond us. It looked important so I'm hoping removing this part will disable the controls for this side of the rift.'
'Just think a portal to another quadrant of space.' Martha mulled the implications. 'Or galaxy; we have no idea where it leads other than the name, 'VegaValissian' and that it has slave markets.'
Both went silent as they looked down at the planet while the pilot got ready for his docking run.
'You realise there will be more medals and accolades. You know the sort of recognition that's reserved for real heroes who have earned the honour,' Martha pointed out.
Ianto groaned and rubbed his hands over his face as the realisation of what he faced when they returned hit him. 'Don't remind me and if it does I will have to employ what is fast becoming a Jones family tradition.'
Martha looked curious. 'Oh?
'Run away,' Ianto said in reply.
'You've never run away from anything in your life, not for real,' she said honestly.
'A fight, yes,' Ianto agreed. 'But being forced under the spotlight, all you are going to see is my back retreating for the hills.'
'This time it might be too hard to hide,' Martha said.
'You have to catch me first,' Ianto added as the shuttle landed with a thump.
Jack paced back and forth as he tried to keep his anxiety at bay. From all accounts the takeover of the base had been brutal but quick. Utilising the slaver landing bay had meant a far more speedy evacuation. From his own tally everyone was accounted for. The crew were returning with incredible tales of heroics; others traumatised to paralysis and everything in between. Jack looked over at one of the ship's counsellors who were like him, waiting for the last shuttle to dock.
Watching the tiny speck Jack tried to quell his feelings of frustration but it was not easy. Ianto in true form had remained until the last possible moment. Jack was not sure if this was down to Ianto's obsessive need to cover every base, dot every I and cross every T. Jack understood the need to ensure everyone was safely away .But orders were orders; there were people on board who were perfectly capable of organising the rescue. He had sent down Roger Wilco and that man who could handle any crisis and Ianto had only handed over the rescue to him to race into the base. When Jack had heard what Ianto had done he felt momentarily sick.
As the shuttle inched closer Jack, arms crossed, and felt his jaw lock he as he went over Ianto's bloody-minded stubbornness and total disregard for Jack's authority. He let out a breath when his anger was momentarily replaced with a desperate need to check the man was unharmed. A thought came to him; maybe Ianto had been really hurt and that was why he was coming aboard last with Owen.
Jack saw the shuttle beginning its approach run to the cargo hold. This was the last, the very last. This shuttle was returning with the most wounded crew, the sick bay had been restored and nursing staff waiting to unload as soon as the door opened.
He stood back as the critically injured were removed under the careful direction from Owen and Martha who dipped her head and asked for a report on the state of the crew from her colleague.
'To me,' Jack pointed at Ianto and then the space before him just as he exited the shuttle.
'Good, you are here. I need to speak to you,' Ianto announced.
'Do you?' Jack said as he marched Ianto over towards the lift. 'You were ordered to return to this ship on no less than five separate occasions. You had better have a damn good explanation for why you disobeyed direct orders to return.' Jack glared at him
'Why did you kiss me?' Ianto demanded.
'That is not on the table for discussion, your insubordination is.' Jack pointed a finger directly towards Ianto.
'Like hell it is. I'm confused enough with how things are between us then you kiss me.'
'When a direct order is given by your superior officer you obey it,' Jack said through his teeth.
'Hell, I was stunned. What were you thinking?' Ianto stated.
'A captain shouldn't have to threaten his acting first officer with a security detail.'
'And how the hell do you get off kissing me in the first place?' Ianto took Jack's finger and twisted it down.
'My order to you was to hand over command to the first senior officer and return to the ship,' Jack tried again.
'That does not answer my question. Why did you kiss me?'
'You are impossible. I needed you back here on this ship.' Jack pushed his face into Ianto's
'I sent crew back,' Ianto said.
'That is not the point, Commander Jones. I gave you a direct order to return to this ship. I want an explanation for your outrageous disregard for the orders of a superior officer,' Jack said.
'How dare you kiss me?' Ianto said his face flushing with anger.
'You are infuriating,' Jack spluttered.
'Good,' Ianto said with a twisted look on his face. Then he turned his back and went to head for the lift.
Jack spun Ianto around. 'Don't you turn your back on me, Commander Jones.' Jack pushed his face into Ianto's and poked his finger into the man's chest. 'You were given a direct order and you refused to obey…what were YOU thinking, putting yourself in harm's way?'
'With all due respect Captain, go fuck yourself,' Ianto retorted.
'I could have you up on charges of insubordination!' Jack shouted and everyone in the cargo bay now turned towards the pair.
'Double fuck yourself!' Ianto threw back.
'Commander Jones, I order you to tell me why you refused to obey a direct order!'
'Not until you answer my question!' Ianto said putting his hands on his hips. 'You kissed me, pushed me against the wall and kissed me!' Ianto shouted a tone of incredulity staining his voice.
'I don't recall you fighting me off,' Jack retorted.
'I was too stunned… shocked,' Ianto replied then narrowed his eyes as a thought came to him. 'Is this how you operate? Pushing yourself on officers under you?'
'You wish!' Jack snapped.
'You kissed me that's… that's sexual harassment! I demand an explanation.'
'It seemed the best thing at the time. Gave you something to think about. Sounds like that's ALL you can think about,' Jack mocked.
'Triple fuck you into infinitum.' Ianto turned and headed once more towards the lift.
'You come back here! This conversation is not OVER!' Jack shouted at Ianto's retreating back.
Ianto reached the lift, pressed the button, and then turned, his face flushed red with fury. Taking five strides he faced Jack, grabbed his upper arms and slammed him against the wall. Jack, too shocked to move, found Ianto's lips on his in a forceful lingering kiss.
Ianto pulled back and pushed a finger into Jack's chest. 'Now you know what it feels like,' Ianto declared and headed towards the now open lift.
Open-mouthed, Martha looked between Jack and Ianto's retreating back. 'What the hell happened while we were gone?'
Blinking, Jack looked at Martha's shocked face. 'A lot more than I realised.' Jack wiped his hand across his mouth and straightened his uniform then headed for the lift.