Temper

by jespah

He really didn't want to go back to the Mirror. It was the last thing he wanted to do. But it was his family that was at stake, so he put everything aside, and went anyway. Could he put back what had gone haywire? Starts February first, 2161, with some incoherence to May of that year, the story contains flashes forward to December 26, 2166 and June 2178. NOTE: Character death

9. Chapters 25 to 26

*25

The recruits brought in more game. A portable grill was fired up and Lili set about starting to cook the cleaned linfep meat.

"C'mon, Empy. We got a little time," Jun said to her.

"Huh?"

"C'mon," he insisted, "No one'll see. You and me, we can go over to where there's another clearing," he said quietly, "I could make you a woman."

"It's too dirty," she sniffed.

"We never get a chance to be alone," he complained.

"Hmm. Maybe later," she said, distractedly watching Lili cooking.

"Don't pay attention to the slaves. Pay attention to me," he insisted, grabbing her arm roughly.

"Cut it out, Jun!"

"She said for you to cut it out," Kirin said, towering over both of them. He still had Ironblaze in his hands.

"This doesn't concern you, Giraffe."

"Now, now, boys!" Takara said, "You already had the fight. Everybody got a prize."

"Yeah, I guess," Marie Patrice said quietly. She got up and walked over to Lili.

"Miss?" Lili asked.

"I, uh."

"You'd rather be kicking a ball somewhere, eh? Perhaps a black and white one with pentagons on it?" Lili asked.

"Those don't exist on this side."

"No football?" Lili asked, "You must miss it. You were quite a kicker," she said softly.

"What do you know about it?"

"I know that this is yours," Lili said, getting the turquoise bit of cloth out of her pocket, "And it is a symbol, for your mother got it from someone she loves, and gave it to you."

"Loved, not loves," Marie Patrice said.

"No. Still loves."

=/\=

Arashi came over to the cooler and started hunting around in it.

"Looking for something?" asked Susan.

"Yeah, seconds."

"Here," she said, impulsively giving him an unmarked empanada with no folded over edge.

He grunted his thanks and sat down. Susan looked around nervously. No one was too close.

Arashi took a bite, and Susan saw that. He gasped a little, and it was all over.

Alarmed, she went over quickly. Deftly, she removed the remainder of the empanada from his hands and even grabbed the uneaten portion from inside his mouth. Reaching in there made her cringe, but she figured it would be a good move on her part. Before rigor could set in, she pushed his body down and closed his eyes. He'd look like he was napping. The only indication that he was doing anything other than taking a nap was the fact that he wasn't breathing.

She got up and took the remainder of the empanada with her to a stream. Breaking it into pieces, she started throwing the bits into the water.

Aidan had only seen a little of that and wasn't sure what he had seen. He came over, "Feeding the water animals?"

"No," she said quietly, "Getting rid of evidence."

"Evidence?" he whispered.

"Don't react," she said, "Arashi's dead."

"Ohhh. That's what that was."

"You saw? Damn. Did anyone else?"

"I don't think so," he said.

"There are two other poisoned empanadas. Don't have seconds, and don't eat mine."

"I'll make sure Kirin doesn't," he said, "Got any escape plans?"

"None," she said, "Blend into the forest, I guess. Hadn't thought that part through at all."

"I'll get him and we'll go with you," Aidan said.

"You sure?"

He nodded.

=/\=

Izo lay down next to his brother. A sound sleeper, that Arashi was. He began to dream.

=/\=

He was in his quarters, with Pamela. The good time girl may have been over fifty, but she still knew her stuff. And she was still hot – particularly the view from the back. That gave him the illusion that she was closer to his age – fifty-four versus sixteen, well, seventeen in a couple of months.

The room smelled of her perfume, Toxic.

They had been together, what? A day, two? And he had lost his virginity to her rather quickly. He already knew what he liked.

He could see her eyes. He didn't recognize the look, but it was one of complete contempt and hatred.

And then she got up. He got angry and slapped her, his hand leaving a dark, unmistakable impression on the side of her face, but she didn't flinch at all.

"I've got toys," she said to him.

=/\=

It was too hot for Hoshi, and she, too, began to drift off, in her chair. She settled herself into a good dream.

Or, rather, dreams, for she had figured out that she had a window into all of their subconscious activities.

But it had gotten a bit dull, as people had pulled back, aware, somehow, that she was watching. The first night, it had been all grappling, sweaty bodies and occasional knife fights. But on the second, it had been dental procedures and haberdashery and women getting their nails done and men eating by themselves in barbecue joints. And all she'd really wanted to watch was the sex and violence, but it was like her channel had gone off the air. Sure, she was also interested in quelling any possible nascent conspiracies, but losing her entertainment? That was not good.

And so she was eager to watch once she'd, essentially, tuned into The Izo and Pamela Show.

=/\=

"Oh?" Izo asked. He was only slightly mindful of his mother watching things. So she was watching? So what.

"Yes," Pamela said. She, too, could see the prying eyes. But this opportunity was far too good to miss. She'd deal with the consequences later. They'd probably be very unpleasant, but she could tolerate a heavy dose of pain – she'd had to, many times before. She wasn't going to waste her life with this brat, not after all that time with Torres.

She bent over her discarded clothes, and Izo got another eyeful, as she rummaged around, looking for what she wanted, "Ah, here we go," she cooed, taking out a green silk rectangular scarf from an unseen pocket. It had a pattern of lotus blossoms on it. She brought a chair to the middle of the room, "Sit down."

"No," he said,

"Uh-uh," she said, scolding him with a waggling finger, "Now, sit!"

He grabbed at her, and licked messily inside her ear. She allowed that. Then he sat.

She got behind him, "Hey, I can't see you!" He complained.

"Don't worry," she said, "Now, just concentrate on how this makes you feel."

"Am I gonna feel good?"

She put the scarf in front of his windpipe and brought the two ends behind. She crossed the ends and brought one under, once, to make a half a knot. Taking the ends in each hand, she raised her elbows so that they were parallel to the floor. With a sharp, swift motion, she pulled the ends to either side.

"Not necessarily," she replied, "But I know I will."

The prying eyes saw, and were entertained by, the garroting of Izo Sato.

=/\=

Noon.

They stopped what they were doing.

It was all Calafans, plus the two human women painted with false calloo.

This included both sides of the pond.

Both Yimars sat and concentrated.

The copper Treve and his wife, Jennifer, bowed their heads in the forest of Lafa II.

Aliwev and Polloria stood, oblivious to everyone else.

Chelben, already fairly close to the dishes, concentrated his attentions on the picnic, looking for clues that the last of the four had been tagged, as he meditated.

Endless others, on both sides of the pond, did naught but think of the gap and reopening it.

Miva picking tomatoes on a farm on Mimas, Baden in the lab as a test subject, Ennewev cleaning out animals' cages on Phoebe and so on and so forth.

And Lili ignored the grill and instead thought of the gap, and what was plugging it, and the fact that it was the only thing standing between her family and home, and a chance to rewind it all. For it was not just the ashes of the ISS Luna and the USS Bluebird that were holding them back. It wasn't just the cuff of Lo, in a trillion microscopic fragments. It was also the remains of one of her great loves, Malcolm Reed.

If she had ever loved him – and she most certainly had–he was worth her fullest attentions. Meat burned on the grill and it did not matter.

=/\=

"Something's happening," Aidan said.

He and Susan returned to the picnic just in time to see Jun shove Lili to try to rouse her. He was unsuccessful. Marie Patrice protested a little.

=/\=

Hoshi stopped looking and started acting, when she realized that her youngest was no more. Even she could be affected by such turns of events.

It was a dream! She could go where she wished. She was in the room in a flash, dagger out.

Hudson would be dead in a minute or so.

But then the dream changed, and the smell of perfume was gone.

The Empress had no way of knowing this, but the Calafan-style dream had been replaced with a regular one, and she could neither see anyone else's subconscious anymore, nor could she do any damage whatsoever.

=/\=

A loud rushing sound welled up, harsh and teeth-rattling.

They heard it in the forest. Jennifer and Treve, Tripp and Beth, Betsy and Charlie – they all heard.

Chelben heard it as he waited.

The picnic party heard it. The recruits did, too. Just as the Empress was about to knife Hudson, she awoke, as no one could have slept through that racket.

Aliwev and Polloria heard it, and snapped out of their trances.

Lili heard it, and it roused her. She turned off the flame under the burned meat.

=/\=

Then they saw it.

Copper and silver particulates, all rushing together, coalescing and then coming apart again.

Then the particulates separated, and a hole was formed.

It was like a pore in the sky, a window to another place. The silver rushed in, and the copper stayed behind and fell into the open dishes.

Chelben stood up and straightened himself. He caught Lili's eye. She nodded.

It was the signal. Four for four were tagged. In the loud rush of particulates being traded, he waited for the gap to become big enough for passage.

=/\=

Aliwev had had it.

He's seen enough, heard enough and felt enough. The tall boy wasn't far away, and was engrossed in the opening gap, as they all were. Quietly, he went over. The kid relinquished the sword with no struggle, transfixed by what was going on.

=/\=

"Travis!" yelled Hoshi, "Get in there!" she pointed to the gap.

"What?"

"I said, get in there!" Hoshi commanded, "Izo is dead! And you will be, too, if you don't get in there. Get me my ships! Get me my legions!"

"It's not gonna work!" yelled Travis over the din.

"Get in there. I command you: get in there!" she yelled, face turning purple.

That was all Aliwev needed. Not that he gave a damn about Travis. But it was a grand opportunity, and he would not give it up for the world.

He rushed at her and thrust Ironblaze into her chest, as far in as it would go, out through to the other side.

She choked a bit, and fell.

He started to pull out the sword to be able to hit her again, but it broke in her body, a jagged edge sticking out.

A light went out, and the Empress Hoshi was dead.

Blood on his hands, blood on his face, blood on the sword hilt, he awaited whatever would happen to him.

=/\=

The recruits had seen this.

One of then yelled, "If we don't do something, we'll be stuck with Mayweather!"

They rushed at Travis, but they didn't get there first.

Jun did.

And he had watched his mother, for all of his life, lead this man around by his nose – and other body parts – and there was no love lost. Travis had never been a father to him, never given a damn about him or any of his siblings, not even Izo, his own.

Jun had no desire to wait any longer, or to listen to Mayweather for any more seconds than he had to. His own dagger out, it was easy.

=/\=

The gap was growing wider, but it was not quite big enough. The noise had gotten lower in volume but the gap continued to widen.

Chip looked up, finally, "Where's Arashi?" he asked.

Takeo went over, "Dad, I think he's dead."

Susan gulped and clutched Aidan's arm.

Chip went over and confirmed. He clicked open his Communicator.

"Masterson to the Defiant."

Lucy answered, "Go ahead, Chip."

"Do you see that gap?" he asked.

"Yes, we do."

"That's not the only thing going on down here. The Empress and Mayweather are dead. I believe that makes me the captain of the Defiant."

"Yes, it does," Jun confirmed.

"Then open up the channel to the entire ship," Chip said, "Please," Asking permission was a sign of weakness, but that hardly mattered.

"Go ahead," she said.

"This is Chandler Masterson. The Empress and Mayweather are dead. I am now your captain. I am not – I repeat – I am not the Emperor. I have no desire for political gains. My children are also out of those sweepstakes. The Empress's two remaining children – that is, Jun and Kirin – will have to decide who gets control of the Empire. Maybe both of them, I don't know," he paused for a second,"As captain of the Defiant, the first change I will make is in the ship-wide no-marriages rule. From now on, anyone serving on the Defiant can, if they wish, have a relationship, or even marry. And this can even be with people who are serving on the ship with you. I have no need to control that aspect of your lives, but you should be mindful, now, that you owe me a bit for now allowing this. I expect your loyalty, but only when it comes to the ship. Your primary loyalty will be to the Emperor."

"Emperors," Jun said, "Right, Kirin?"

"I guess so," he replied.

"All I have left is one question," Chip said, "Lucy, will you marry me?"

"Uh, I guess so," she said.

=/\=

Aliwev backed away from the scene. The recruits didn't care. No one else was watching, except for Takara, "You killed Mother," she said.

"I'm sorry," he said, in a bit of shock, "Any time something like, like that happens, there is someone who mourns, and someone who feels it. I don't relish becoming a killer."

"My, my father. Will he take care of me?" she asked.

"I suspect he will," Aliwev said. Dirtied and bloodied, he took advantage of her slightly turning away to run off to the forest. He'd have to live with what he'd done. The Empress Hoshi may have been a tyrant, but she had still been a person, loved or at least liked, by someone. But he wasn't going to stick around to find out anything more about what was going to happen.

=/\=

February 6, 2161.

Rick looked at his instruments. There'd been a jump.

But Ironblaze was still gone, the cuff of Lo was still destroyed and things were still unsettled.

"You're not done yet," he said to his instruments. He grabbed another cup of synthesized coffee – ugh – and intercepted another few molecules of dark matter as he waited.

*26

The Defiant's halls had always been dangerous places. You never knew if you were going to be knifed or otherwise bothered. Higher-ups had to be mindful of their inferiors looking to kill them and eagerly take their places. And lower-ranking personnel had to concern themselves with assaults by the higher-ups which were often done just for fun. And if you were a low-ranking unescorted woman, may the gods help you, for you'd also have to watch out for rapists.

But things had changed.

Claymore walked out by herself, and was soon joined by Bernstein. There were hoots and hollers. Even at forty-five, and the plainer of the two, Bernstein could still turn heads. There were so few women on board, that part didn't matter. Claymore was a tad younger but still making the men lick their lips at her. They shimmied as they walked, enjoying the attention, smiling at all comers but shoving them aside. They had power, and they knew it.

The noises were loud enough – for many of the men were standing in doorways and making their attentions clearly known to all – that Pamela heard, still inside Izo's quarters. She threw on her clothes and then grabbed a scarf from a drawer. It was the one that, in the dream, she'd garroted Izo with. She tied it around her own neck, and smiled to herself, thinking of the virtually perfect crime she'd just committed. She then left the room, and joined the passing parade.

=/\=

March 28, 3109

"Uh oh," Kevin said, peering at the readings from over his coffee cup.

Carmen roused herself. She'd been dreaming of sea turtles migrating – a strangely gentle dream for such an urbanite as herself, "Wha–?"

"This is not good, Boss," he said, "The Empress's death date has changed."

"Just by a day, or a lot?"

"By, lemme see, it's sixty-seven years too soon. The timeline is still a little ... caca."

"That's not a little. Damn. Richard, you'd better be able to reverse that, or you won't have a Temporal Integrity Commission to come back to," she rubbed her temples. A raging headache was on its way, she could tell.

=/\=

They stopped in front of the booth, where two Security guys were hanging around, guarding no one.

One of them approached Bernstein, "You free?" he asked.

"Maybe," she said, "You're Rosen, right?"

"Yep. My mother will be thrilled if I take up with a Jewish chick."

"Your mother? You actually care about those things, and about what she thinks?" Karin asked, looking him up and down.

"Not more than I care about other things," he said, "But enough that it's a little bit in my head."

"You care about anything else?"

"Things," he said, "I, uh, don't like it when I'm the only one who has fun."

"Oh," she said, "Are you, uh, are you a gentle man?"

"I can be," he said, "Wanna find out?"

She took his arm, "Okay."

The other two continued on.

=/\=

"The cooler!" Lili exclaimed, still on the surface of Lafa II.

Doug saw, and heard. He came over. She and Marie Patrice were still standing near one another, by the grill, "Doug," Lili said quietly, "Destroy the cooler."

He didn't ask why, he just did as asked. He'd been a marksman, and took it out with one phase rifle shot while Marie Patrice watched.

"My, my father's name was Doug," she finally said.

"Still is," he said, reholstering the weapon.

=/\=

Claymore and Hudson then went past Sick Bay.

Even Doctor Morgan had heard the commotion, and came out to investigate, "Uncle Cyril!" Pamela said, once she'd seen him, "You know Blair, don't you?"

"I do indeed," he said, "Those bruises healing all right?" he asked her.

"Much better," Blair said, "Thank you."

"You're not supposed to thank people, you know," Doctor Morgan said, "It's a sign of weakness."

"Not if they do you a really big favor," Blair said, "Which I should repay."

"Oh?" he asked.

Pamela left them and continued walking. The men now joined her, following, stalking her and watching her walk.

=/\=

Kirin stared at the remains of the smoldering cooler, "What was that all about, Dad?"

"Uh, nothing," Aidan said, "So you'll be in charge, eh?"

"With Jun," Kirin said, "And Chip'll be busy."

"Right," Aidan said.

"You could probably do more, Dad. Go back to Tactical or something."

"Naahhh," Aidan said, "I didn't mind caring for all of you. And I still don't. I can work with Susan. I'm no teacher, but I can clean the erasers or something."

"More than that," she said, smiling at him.

=/\=

Pamela made her way to Engineering. There was just one person she wanted to see.

She was, in general, not a big fan of engineers, but this was the best possible prospect. Her entourage stopped following her. Engineering was such a dull place.

"Mr. Ramirez," she said, "I get the feeling you're getting a promotion."

"I suppose I am," he said, purging an intake manifold, "Hand me that."

"All of that stuff going on, on the surface, you don't really care about it at all, do ya?" she asked.

"Nope. Well, a little. But, really, it doesn't matter much. All I wanna do is work and stay alive. Some reason you're here?"

"I, uh, I'm free," she said.

"Oh," he said, straightening up. He was sweaty, and his hair was a little gritty from the work he'd been doing, "Are you looking for someone?"

"Maybe," she said.

"This can wait," he said, putting down a tool. He approached her, "I'm not a romantic guy. I'm not stylish, I don't dance and you will never get me to change my hairstyle, not even when I'm eighty."

"I don't think anything like that is really important," she said, "Will you hit me?"

"No," he said, "Will you hit me?"

"Only if you want me to."

"Naahhh," he said, "I do better when it's not so nasty."

"I'm getting older," she said, "Fifty-five at my next birthday."

"I'm not so far behind you," he said, "Do you want a quiet life?"

"Quieter," she said, "But not a boring one."

"I bet you've already been to Risa," he said.

"I have," she said, "Just not with you."

=/\=

"Do we have to have physical contact, all six of us?" Doug asked Lili.

"I don't know. I imagine it would be helpful," she said.

"Six, who?" Marie Patrice asked.

"The three of us," Lili said, "Joss, Tom and DR."

DR had been standing over by Joss, and came over, "What's the scoop?" he asked.

"We need to make physical contact," Marie Patrice said, "I don't know why, but I get the feeling it's really important, and it can't wait."

"I'll get Joss," DR said.

"You should get Tom," Lili said to Marie Patrice, "I don't care how you do it. Just bring him over."

"He'll wonder why I'm doing that," Marie Patrice said.

"Let him wonder," Lili said, "Just do it, and soon," she was watching the gap, and it was hitting the ground and was nearly as big as Chelben, who looked over at her anxiously. Time was running out.

Marie Patrice came over to Tom, who was hovering over Takara, "Tommy, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, I guess so," he said.

"Over there," she pointed.

"C'mon," Tommy said to Takara. She was dumbfounded enough by events to be very compliant.

"No. Just you," Marie Patrice said, "It's private."

"You can't say anything in front of me that you can't in front of her," he said.

"No, Tom. Not this time," Marie Patrice said, "This is about home."

"Our home is up there, in orbit," he said.

Doug came over, "Takara," he said; forgetting all niceties, "Go see your father. He's gonna leave in the shuttle soon, and you should be on it."

Tom made as if to go with her, "Not this time, sport," Doug said to him.

"Major, whadda you know about it?"

"I know you were raised by two women, at least, that was up until eleven or so years ago. And one of them had brown hair and brown eyes that were as big as saucers. And the other one, she was auburn, and books were really important to her. And you saw a British guy sometimes, and he brought you presents every Christmas. Until you ended up here, drawn, somehow, by something. But only half of you belongs here. And the rest belongs on the other side. We humans, we can't go through that portal, not without a lotta help. But you belong over there. And today is the day you're going back there."

"I am?"

"Yeah," Marie Patrice said, "Your Dad's here to take you home. And, and my, my mother as well."

"Your mother just died," Tommy said.

"No," Marie Patrice said, "She was never our mother. She was barely mother to Jun, and Kirin and all of them."

Kirin heard his name, and came over, "Something's happening. Not just this – but you – something's happening with you."

"Yes," Marie Patrice said, "I have to go. It's over. I'm sorry," They kissed.

"I have a life here," Tommy said.

"Which will be cut short," Doug said, "I know this life. It's not a good one. Someone will knife you, or stick you in front of phaser fire, or you'll be on some shuttle that crashes or a transport that explodes. I got no guarantees on the other side. You could die a day from now. But you won't spend your life paranoid, and you won't spend it throwing away human life without a care, just so's you can get better rations, or bigger quarters, or a hotter girl, or a promotion. Don't live that life. I gave up everything to leave it. I didn't do that just so you could go back and undo it all."

"But ..."

"But nothing," Lili had come over, "You can still be a soldier. You'll sleep a lot better if you become an honorable one."

=/\=

The gap was big enough. Chelben dived in.

The other side looked a lot like the side he'd been on, but in reverse. It was a little like going through a looking glass, but the picture was a tad distorted. There were Calafans on that side, dozens of them, beginning to gather and watch the gap as it grew and stabilized. They were pleasantly surprised to see one of their own come through. The gap closed up again as soon as he got through, and there was a great sound of disappointment, for their loved ones were – many of them – on the other side, and they feared they would never see them ever again.

Chelben got himself away from the crowd and jogged over to the remains of a ruined house, a toppling of grey bricks where there had once been a fireplace, and burned wooden slats where there had once been a bed where people had shown each other just what they really meant to each other. And there was a small garden, with overgrown vegetables that had gone to seed, and absurd little blue and white flowers that stubbornly persevered even in the midst of all of that adversity.

He took the flare out from his clothes and made sure he was facing away from the dishes. As he had been instructed, he snapped it in its center. There was the slightest of clicking sounds, almost like a safety catch coming off a phase rifle, but nothing more, and it seemed as if he'd come there for nothing.

=/\=

February 6, 2161

But it was far from nothing.

Rick saw, and set the temporal transporter. Now there would be six passengers. He fired a small dark matter shot directly into the dishes. He had far better aim and control than Chip and Lucy had, and hit his target.

=/\=

December 26, 2166

The six of them were in physical contact as the scene began to change. And suddenly it was cold out, and the children were smaller, and back to the ages they had been, bundled against the cold.

Lili and Doug were not bundled, and it was cold for them, standing in ankle-deep snow on Point Abic.

They had gotten separated.

Lili ran to keep warm, looking around for Doug. A perhaps five-year-old boy almost ran her over, and then another one. They were throwing snowballs at each other, laughing and having a blast.

Then there was another child, a boy of nearly the same age – younger? Older? She couldn't tell – he was throwing snowballs at the dishes themselves.

Three sleds went up and down Point Abic, sometimes pulled by older children, sometimes not. One of them had four kids on it, but that one was farther away. She ran over to it – it had to be the right one, right?

The sled was right but the kids were wrong, so she went back to where she'd been. It was a decent vantage point, and she was cold. She'd have to keep moving. She knew Doug hated the cold, and finally spotted him, "Have you seen them?" he asked her, breathless. He'd been running, too.

"Not yet," she said, "We better hurry. I think it's opening."

And it was.

=/\=

A pulse shot was fired.

And, unlike in 2161, they knew where it went.

It went into the thickest concentration of dishes.

"We've got a shot off," Lucy said to the Empress, who was watching on the Bridge with her six children. Jun was ten, looking a bit bored. Eight-year-old Kirin was standing in the back. Seven-year-old Arashi was engrossed in a PADD. The six-year-old twins were hitting each other, with Takeo pulling Takara's pigtails. Little five-year-old Izo was sucking his thumb.

The Empress clicked open a communications channel, "Torres," she said to her man on the ground, "you get to go in first. A good outcome

will bring some truly excellent rewards. And a bad outcome? Well, I think youhave an idea of what will happen."

"Yes, Empress," he said, "Torres out," Absurdly – it had been her idea, even though he was no swordsman, he had a heavy, ornately carved sword in his hands.

Ironblaze.

=/\=

Lili noticed the kids on one of the sleds switched with four others. She approached that one. She glanced over at Doug on occasion. He still had his weapon sheathed, and was thinking of something, she could tell.

She got to the sled and saw the kids.

"Joss!" she yelled. Joss would know her. Hehadto.

He ignored her, or maybe he didn't hear, or didn't understand.

"Joss!" she repeated, "Get home! Go home!"

At the very edge of hearing, she could hear Norri's voice, calling for Neil. A small boy ran past her, drawn to that voice.

=/\=

The gap began to open.

One chance.

One shot.

Doug unsheathed his phase rifle, cocked it, aimed, and fired.

The shot made contact with the other side's dark matter pulse shot, absorbed it and went through, to the other side of the pond.

=/\=

With a loud, slamming noise, the gap shut.

Doug's shot went through all right, and found its purpose. It hit José Torres right in the chest, and he died, dropping the sword.

This was all the incentive that the Calafans needed.

They saw, and they reacted. They didn't have much, really, just sticks and rocks for the most part, but they had cunning and speed and they knew the forests of Lafa II.

They set upon the invaders. There were more Calafans than there were invading humans, and the weaponry began to change hands.

Hodgkins thought he saw humans attacking them, but he couldn't be sure. After all, the Calafans looked enough like humans. The last thing he saw was a forty-five-year old man with a severe facial scar and a drooping eyelid, who whacked him, hard with a log from an olowa tree, helped along by a striking redhead in her mid-thirties who sported sinuous copper-colored scrollwork tattoos on both arms.

The invaders began to run.

The Empress was not amused, "Travis, get down there!" she yelled. He had been watching from the pilot's station.

"But someone has to pilot," he complained. He didn't want to go down there.

"Go. If you ever want any of this again," she said, thrusting her chest out at him.

It was an offer he couldn't refuse. He transported to the surface. He almost got to a cave, and could see two human children hiding in there, with a Calafan youth. But then he was turned by crossfire, and his troops followed. He was no leader, and didn't know from battleground strategies.

"We're gonna die down here, Mayweather," Snarled Curtis, who raised his own phase rifle. He took his shot and stood up, dropping the weapon. He raised his arms, "Don't shoot!" he yelled, "We're done here."

=/\=

Chip saw. He nodded at Lucy when the Empress wasn't looking. Lucy then nodded at Aidan.

"You!" Hoshi seethed, pointing at Chip, "Get down there!"

"Yes, Empress," he said, and left.

"Empress, I need to take these three for the bathroom," Kirin said.

"We can go by ourselves," Complained Takeo.

"It's not safe in the halls," Aidan said, "I'll, it would be good if I had someone to assist me."

"I can go, Empress," Lucy said, "Science station doesn't have much to do right now."

"Go," Hoshi said, "And get yourself to the surface when they're done, Stoney. Don't come back if you fail."

The five of them left and nearly ran into the teacher, who was walking by on some errand or another.

=/\=

The battle continued, but it was mostly surrenders by the Empress's troops.

And three escape pods floated gently to the surface.

One contained Chip and Takara. Another contained Lucy and Takeo. And the third contained Aidan, Susan and Kirin. That one was awfully cramped.

Pods open, they raised their arms, "What are we doing, Daddy?" asked Takara.

"Becoming free," her father answered.

They took refuge in a cave, where they found three children cowering, "We won't hurt you," Aidan said.

Watching from above, the Empress fired phasers from the Tactical Station herself. Jun watched, and learned from her as she angrily barked at no one in particular.

The ground was toast, but those in the cave were all right, albeit a bit shook up and covered in some dust.

=/\=

"We're leaving this sector, probably for good. I hate it here," The Empress said. She punched open the communications station, "Pike! Miller! Get up here!"

They arrived, and she pointed to the pilot's station and Tactical, "You're promoted," she said grimly.

The two of them went to work, "Course?" Shelby Pike asked.

"Andoria. Warp Seven."

"We're underway," Shelby replied.

"Miller, once you're done calibrating, join me in the Ready Room," Hoshi said.

"Empress?"

"You heard me. Oh, and where's Rosen?"

"Guarding the booth, I suppose," Andrew Miller said.

"Get him in here. He's gonna take care of the kids, at least for a while. And with three gone, I'll need three more. You up for that detail, Miller?"

=/\=

They didn't see any of that on the other side, of course.

But it hardly mattered, as it was all about to change.

Lili caught up to the sled. Four children – Joss, Marie Patrice and the other two were probably Tommy and DR. She didn't have the inclination to check under huge scarves for tiny faces. She just made the assumption, "Kids, wait here," she said.

"Mom?" Joss asked. And then she remembered. So far as he was concerned, he hadn't seen her in over five years.

"Yes, Ducks," she said, bending down and hugging him. His jacket was a little damp and snowy, and she was cold, but she still held him.

Doug sheathed his weapon and ran over, amidst the families, who were still throwing snowballs and hauling sleds, mostly oblivious to what had just occurred. That was good; he preferred it that way. He liked medals and all – who didn't? But operating in secrecy and with anonymity – that was what he preferred. It was almost like his days as a mercenary.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, teeth chattering.

They each held two jacket hoods. Tommy struggled a bit, but the others were compliant.

"Just wait for a moment, kids," Lili said.

"But Maa–aaahhhm!" Marie Patrice complained.

"One second," Lili said.

=/\=

February 6, 2161

Rick looked in at his instruments.

"Ironblaze is back. So is the cuff. The death date is back to 2245, same year that the NCC-1701is launched. Good goin'. Almost there."

=/\=

Doug made sure to face away from the dishes. He linked arms with Lili, and snapped the little flare away from the dishes, facing in the direction down Point Abic, where he could see a bench with two people on it – no, three – one was holding a small child. Dave Ryan, Norri and Neil.

There was the tiniest of clicks.

=/\=

Rick hit recall.