A/N: Sorry about the delay, folks! But as promised, here's the chapter with lemon attached. Of which there will be more in the future. This is the unbeta-ed version, and DaisyJane is working on the beta now, so please excuse any mistakes you find. Enjoy the chapter!

Nothing better than this,

Knowing that the storm can come,

You feel just like the sun,

Just like the sun.

And you say, we're alright,

I'm gonna trust you, babe,

I'm gonna look in your eyes,

And you say, we're alright,

I'll follow you

Into the light.

The Light—Sara Bareillas

Chapter Twenty One

I suppose the true definition of a war faring nation is when otherwise harmless people can suddenly pull a gun on you, Alexa thought. It was exactly what had just happened to them. Every single person in the lab—the girl in her arms excepted—had suddenly whipped out some kind of weapon. No one bothered pointing it at Kal; all were aimed at she and the telepath.

The head scientist spoke. "Batwoman, I must ask that you replace her, back in the machine. Superman, untie the lieutenant." When no one moved (Kal had blurred in front of her the moment the guns appeared) except to glare, he spoke again. "I realise this looks … bad. But -"

"Bad?"

"We have no choice. Every power source we tried failed, but this subject is putting out so much energy -"

"Subject?" Kal barked out. "She's a person!"

The girl shifted in Alexa's arms, moving a little closer, her fear still palpable. As for Alexa herself, she was mostly ignoring the words. Too busy working out angles of fire and how best to get out of the situation. With violence, probably. Carefully planned and executed violence.

"The telepath is our only suitable power source. We must get this machine finished. Put her back."

Batwoman had a plan now, so she carefully replaced the girl. She didn't struggle, didn't cry out, because she knew what Alexa had planned. So did Kal, though he knew her well enough so that they didn't have to read each other's thoughts. They wouldn't have had to even if they could. Once the telepath was back inside, one of the technicians approached and pressed a series of buttons to close the machine. It only worked to a certain extent; now that Alexa had shredded the metal once it was difficult getting it to fit back together.

"Thank you," the scientist said. "Now, the lieutenant."

Alexa exploded into action. Her hand shot out to wrap around his neck, throwing him across the room, just as Kal did the same with another one. In seconds, laser beams were bouncing everywhere, before finally boring little smoking holes in the walls and equipment. Her bracers deflected any and all sent her way as she hurled people across the room, dodged and dealt out blows as well as prevented the alarm from being raised. A little unsuccessfully. It worked, up until a junior chemist got accidentally chucked into the master alarm switch. Until then, she and Kal had been working as a flawless team, just as they had in the past. The rush of it—despite the situation—was exhilarating. They had spent too many days playing diplomat to no effect, no consequence. Direct action answered every frustration.

Within twenty seconds of Alexa putting the telepath back, almost everyone in the room was disarmed or unconscious. They met in the middle of the room, breathless smiles on their faces and arms around each other. Their kiss was briefer than they'd intended it to be; a wave of fear and urgency lashed across both their minds from the telepath. Why she was scared was suddenly clear; in the commotion, the lieutenant's bonds had been loosened just enough for him to wriggle free. He had managed to grab a discarded gun, and was pointing it at the only vulnerable spot in the room—through the gap in the machine and straight at the telepath.

"That's enough," he gasped, sounding winded.

Alexa took a step forward. "I knew there was a reason I didn't like you."

"Not another step! I'll kill her!"

"No you won't. You just heard it yourself: you need her."

"Not that much."

Kal made an almost imperceptible motion for her to hold back, so she stopped. "Clearly, we need to find a compromise. We cannot be party to the exploitation of an innocent. And you still need a power source."

"There can be no compromise. Get to your Javelin craft and leave, immediately."

"Not without her."

The lieutenant snorted, revealing three sets of yellow teeth. "You will not be going with her."

"Then we will not be leaving at all."

"There is no solution. Get out."

"Not happening."

Alexa had the opportunity to slowly reach into her belt. There were a few batarangs, and her fingers curled around one of them. She had to be subtle—unfortunately now was one of those times having a cape would come in really handy. Thankfully for her, Kal was commanding the lieutenant's attention. She wasn't surprised. He was radiating power. Forcing away the warm prickle shivering over her skin—it was a really, really inappropriate time—she managed to aim it behind her back. There was a metal cabinet behind the two Pineans that she could ricochet it off.

"You must be in violation of your own laws," Kal said. "The very laws Shae are fighting to protect."

"Victory must be attained. No matter the cost."

"That's an attitude the military have drilled into you. You're a thinking person with a mind of your own. What's your victory worth if you turn yourself into monsters trying to achieve it?"

It almost looked like she wouldn't have to throw it; the lieutenant looked more convinced with each passing second, but there was no such thing as being too cautious. She threw it with perfect accuracy, and it bounced from the wall and struck him squarely on the back of the head. He collapsed with a wheezing sound, and Kal was there to open the machine and release the telepath.

"She's alright," he said. "And that was a nice throw, but– Alexa? What are you doing?"

She was moving all around the lab, opening refrigerated cabinets and searching through test tubes. "I need to run an analysis on the Refiblium, if there's any left."

"I thought you –" he cut off, looking in confusion at the telepath, who was giving him the location. Then he pointed to Alexa's left. "There's a sample in there."

She ripped the door off its hinges in her haste to get the element out, and then stuck it into one of the only still-functioning analysers in the lab. Nothing could be done to hurry the analysis, though, and Kal could think of something other than standing around that they should be doing. Like getting to the Javelin and letting the Lanterns sort out this mess. Or letting the Pineans sort themselves out, one way or the other. He found he didn't care all that much, as long as he got the telepath and Alexa out of here safely.

"Alexa, we need to go."

"We'll never be able to get out of here safely," she replied. "The hangar is at least seven clicks away, and then we'd still have to get the Javelin up through two miles of crust before we got to the surface. And then there's nothing to stop them firing on us and destroying the ship."

"We'll take that chance. The alarm's been raised, there are already soldiers on their way."

"But then we lose the mission."

"Lose the –" he stopped in disbelief. She couldn't still believe they could save the mission, surely? But he knew she did; there was determination in every line of her body, and resolve in the grim line of her mouth. The absolute confidence that they could still snatch this from the jaws of defeat was palpable. He'd seen both traits in each of her parents before, and he knew that in Alexa they were combined with breathtaking durability. He'd never be able to talk her out of it in time. And if she had reason to believe they could save it, then it was a good reason.

"Talk quickly."

"If the Refiblium does what I think it does then there could be a viable –"

It was too late for explanations though. The six units of soldiers Kal had heard coming all burst into the lab through the various entrances, all of them with more guns pointed at them. No one fired though, and no one spoke, either. Their expressions were perfectly blank; their heartbeats were all monotonously settled. They were men capable of anything: men like that made him nervous. In contrast, the telepath's heartbeat was wildly frightened, and Alexa's was faster than normal too. On her though, there were the faintest traces of dopamine as well as the adrenaline he might expect. Of course. A battle. An Amazon. Warrior born.

In the oppressive silence—although of course there was never any such thing as silence, not for him—they waited. After an interminable amount of time, the analyser beeped, flashing up its results. Alexa's hand darted out to take them, but one shot was fired with pinpoint accuracy. His heart leapt, but Alexa had deflected it with just as much accuracy, and the laser pinged off to hit the ceiling.

"Please don't touch anything, Batwoman." In came one of the generals who had greeted them on their arrival on Pinea. He looked remarkably at ease.

"You have no right to do this to another sentient creature," Alexa said.

"If you have a functioning alternative, I'll be happy to hear it," the general said coolly.

"Then listen," Alexa replied, her voice as crisp as breaking ice. "The Refiblium is useless, am I right? You messed up with the synthesis."

"Yes."

"But its projected results were promising, and you built the machine assuming they were correct. The alterations to it have been slight, to adapt it to the telepath."

"What is your point?"

"Have you still got the original designs?"

"Of course, but they are useless –"

"It's not useless. I have a viable alternative to the Refiblium."

"What?"

"The core in our hyperdrive is tritium. If I removed it from the Javelin, and put it in this machine, it should work. And it should solve all your energy problems, and it should do it without the need for torturing innocent people. A regular supply could easily be set up from Earth."

The first flicker of doubt appeared in the general's eyes, and Kal's mind was suddenly overwhelmed with relief from the telepath. "How?" the general asked.

"You're a military man, General. It would take a scientist to fully understand. All you need to know is that it will work."

"Go and get it them. But you'll get it with some help. Squad 3, accompany Batwoman to the hangar. Squads 7, 9 and 2, keep your weapons trained right where they are."

The two of them shared a brief glance, but it was enough to have a conversation.

Do you have to go with them?

They won't try anything, I'm their lifeline now. It's the only way.

What about breaking out?

Too dangerous for her.

Be careful.

I don't want to –

You won't. It won't be long before we're back. Look after her.

Then she was gone, leading the way from the lab with all the dignity of the princess she was. After that, he demanded medical attention for the telepath (which was given, albeit grudgingly), he was left to count the seconds and keep any eye on her for as far as he could. And his ears on her long after that.

She did see not even one civilian on the way to the Javelin. Alexa imagined an iron curfew had come down, and she knew they were already scared after all. She was actually glad; it meant there was less chance of them getting hurt. Alexa waited until she was safely within the ship before launching her attack. Apparently they were so concerned she might be a flight risk that all six members of the squad were required to follow her in. Which left precisely … none of them outside to raise the alarm.

She smirked. Idiots.

It was simple enough. Once at the command console, she accessed the main engine controls and beckoned one of the guards over. "Keep your hand on that button."

"What? Why?" he asked, immediately suspicious.

She glared and barked out a plausible explanation very quickly. "Unsecured tritium is highly unstable, and by severing it from the Javelin, I'll be unsecuring it. This is a manual stabilisation override. You take your hand off before I tell you to, we all go up in very hot flames, understand?"

"Fine. How long will it take?"

"A few minutes. It's a delicate operation."

The engine access panel was on the outside of the ship, of course, but it could be opened from inside. Once she had, she gestured to her gullible guard, who pressed firmly on the button. What he was in fact doing was opening an emergency channel to the Green Lanterns. A channel that only worked one-way. It had been her father's design, used in cases of hijack. The Javelin's communication system would lock on to the nearest League ally, without the hijackers being alerted, and broadcast whatever was happening inside the craft. With luck, there was already a contingent of GLs on their way.

To make sure, Alexa added a little more procrastination in, pretending she didn't know exactly what to do. She accessed the instruction manual for removing the hyperdrive core. A Shae very helpfully prodded her in the back with the barrel of his weapon.

"What's taking so long?"

"I need to make sure I understand the process fully."

"You said the tritium could serve as an alternative –"

"It can, but oddly enough I've never dismantled a hyperdrive before, and if it's alright with you, I'd like to do it without blowing us all sky-high!"

"Just hurry."

She figured she had bargained for all the time she was going to get, so leaving the console she (and her five guards) went back outside to the hull of the ship. A section of it had slid back, revealing the intricate inner workings of the Javelin. It looked suitably complex, and to someone untrained it was—but Alexa had been taking things like this apart for a very long time. When she had Tommy had been five, they had decided to sneak into their father's garage and dismantle the engine of the original batmobile. Bruce's punishment had not been shouting or grounding. Instead, he had made them spend the next decade learning every level of mechanical engineering, so that they could put his prize car back together again in the pitch black, if they had to.

A small keypad lay just inside the engine hatch; Alexa's fingers tapped quickly over it, and there was a low whirring in answer. The hyperdrive core was coming out. In actual fact, while the tritium was a great fuel source, there was nothing more stable, but her guards all took a step back when the glowing red canister arrived. Alexa disconnected it from its couplings, then made to stand up. She stumbled, and the tritium fell from her hands.

The nearest guard lunged forwards to catch it before it hit the ground—and then seemed to realise his mistake about half a second before Alexa's fist collided with the top of his head. The tritium went tumbling to the ground anyway, and he wasn't slow to follow it. She hadn't watched him fall; as the blow with her fists was delivered, her left leg kicked out and hit another one across the hangar. He hit the side of another ship and lay still. Before the remaining three could fire on her, she span around and grabbed the gun of the nearest one. Crushing it like tin foil in her fingers, she sank her other fist into his midsection, and he followed his previously-flying comrade. The useless gun still in her hands, she used it as a club to take out another guard—and then made her only mistake. She had been a little too casual about her attack though; the final guard had time for one shot. She deflected it into the belly of the Javelin, where it made almost no impact, before knocking him out. She was annoyed, though. Granted, laser beams were quieter than bullets, but there was still every chance the noise could have alerted –

"What's going on out there?"

Damn. Now she had to move fast. Picking up the tritium, she ran inside the Javelin holding it like a shield. It was enough to cause some hesitation, and provided a useful weapon for knocking the final guard out. That done, Alexa crossed to the comms.

"Batwoman to any Green Lantern listening, come in. Repeat, this is -"

"Batwoman, this is Green Lantern Kai'sek Tonah. Oa received your distress signal. Is the situation resolved?"

"No. Superman and I are not under attack but the danger is immediate. The Shae have been deceiving you, Lantern. We can still complete the mission but we will need assistance."

"We're already en route."

"Good. I'll open the entry hatch for you—just get here as quickly as you can. Batwoman out."

Kal was utterly unsurprised when Alexa returned silently to the lab, alone and apparently casual about it. Relieved, though. Unsurprised, yes, but strongly relieved. It caused a ripple of unease to run through the Shae, and the general looked outraged.

"Halt!"

She stopped.

"Explain yourself."

"I said I could do it with the tritium. I went to get the only sample of it on Pinea. What exactly don't you understand?"

"Where are my men?"

"Scattered between here and the Javelin, most of them."

The general went livid—lividly blue, with his species. "You killed –"

"I didn't kill anyone. But nor do I require escorting around constantly. Frankly, it was beginning to wear before today."

"You, go and see if what she says is true," the general ordered one of the lab technicians. "I told you to remain still!" he yelled at Alexa, when she took a few steps forward.

Kal's muscles tightened. He could get there, if he had to, but there were always unaccounted for variables. There was always that terrible whisper: what if … Alexa was showing no signs she needed a rescue, true, and she was cool and calm under pressure just as she always was. But it had been a very long time since he had been able to just watch and admire her in action. She meant too much to him for that.

"I'm simply going to place the tritium," she said. "You want me to, yes?"

"How do I know you won't –"

"What would be the point? You have your insurance," she said, gesturing to the telepath, over whom Kal still stood guard.

He felt the girl touch his mind. She has her insurance too, she whispered. The emerald guardians are coming.

He looked over at Alexa, the plan now silently and flawlessly rolling out between them. He had to admit, it was a brilliant plan. Oh, well done, my darling. Well done.

The general did not seem to be enjoying being stuck between a rock and a hard place; he was secreting stress hormones now and two of his eyes were blinking very rapidly.

"Very well. Very well, do it."

The succeeding events happened in quick sequence. Alexa put the tritium into the machine, and it spat out a series of results within moments. No one had time to look at them properly—although it looked fairly promising—before there was the sound of laser beam bursts from outside the lab. It was followed by the unmistakable noise that was the creation of a hard light construct. The cavalry was here. Alexa abandoned the tritium to rush across the lab to Kal's side. They let the GLs sort out the Shae, and protected the telepath through the storm of gunfire that transpired. It took a few minutes for all the soldiers to be taken down, and then a tall female Aquoid came over to them, extending a webbed hand.

"Kai'sek Tonah, at your service."

Alexa shook it, and then Kal did the same. "Thank you for coming."

"Anything for an ally. Are either of you hurt?"

"No."

"Are you alright?" she asked the telepath, who nodded. "What do you two want to do now?" she asked them.

"The tritium should work for the time being as an energy source, but until I analyse the results I can't tell for how long," Alexa replied.

"Couldn't the scientists here do that?"

"Yes, but they can't replicate or replace the tritium once it's expired. When it does run out, you'll need some more. It's easily obtainable from Earth, so supply to Pinea shouldn't be a problem."

"But it needs to be moved from here," Kal said. "It can't be left here for the Shae to exploit it and win the war against Rengar. They may not have started it but they can't be allowed to win it now."

"Looks like they were driven to it by desperation."

"This whole situation reeks of desperation. This could resolve every issue here and now. We have to do it, or we fail in every one of our duties."

Kai'sek nodded. "I agree. But we can hardly impose an occupation on a hostile world. Even if it wasn't against our oath, it would take the entire Corps to do it."

"Rengar will probably be more than happy to work with you, and Shae won't have a choice."

That was also agreed with, and arrangements were made for the machine to be moved to the neutral zone. As for the two Justice Leaguers: "You two must want to go home pretty badly," Kai'sek said kindly.

It couldn't be denied, but neither of them could in good conscience leave until they knew for certain that there was nothing more they could do. Thankfully (for Alexa at least; she was aching to get off this godsforsaken planet), Kai'sek shook her head firmly when possible objections were raised. "I am absolutely sure we can handle the situation from here on. We'll be in touch if anything requires your attention."

Alexa's shoulders relaxed, ever-so-slightly, and Kal's did the same. But still, they both turned to the telepath first, seeking her assurance. They'd become quite protective over the fragile female, but she was managing a smile with at least one of her mouths now.

Thank you for saving me.

"We'll stay if you want us to."

You wish to be with each other, though. And the emerald guardians will protect me and help my people. Go.

"Never got your name," Alexa said softly, making him smile. Exactly the question Diana would have asked.

Her mouth worked for a moment, before she finally managed, "Ch- Chitani."

"Then I hope we meet again, Chitani. Stay safe."

They took their leave, making it to the Javelin about fifteen minutes later. The Lanterns waved them off happily, and Alexa let out a long sigh of relief, throwing her mask back as they made their way to the surface. Kal came up behind her and slid his arms around her waist, chin comfortably resting on her shoulder.

"Mission accomplished?" she asked.

He kissed her cheek. "Most definitely."

"So we can go home now?"

"No place like it."

She cracked a grin and slipped out of his arms, heading for the pilot's seat. "You would know, Kansas-boy," she quipped.

Once they were at the surface, she plotted a course out of the atmosphere, and then input one for Earth. It was when they were far enough from Pinea to engage the hyperdrive that the error message flashed up on the heads-up display.

Alexa took her hands from the controls. "Ah."

Kal looked over to her with one eyebrow raised. "Ah?"

"What did I just give to the Pineans?"

"Ah. How fast can we travel without it?"

"Well, put it this way: by the time we reach the Solar System, we'll both be dead from old age. And I'm completely immortal."

"That is a problem."

"We still have the auxiliaries, and with them we should reach Lantern space in another sex hours. They can pick up our distress signal and come get us then."

He looked at her quizzically. "Sex hours?"

"Six."

He smirked. "Something on your mind, Alexa?"

She flicked a few switches, and the lights in the cabin dimmed. Then she promptly sat down on his lap. "Now that you mention it." She moved her face closer to his, feeling a surge of anticipation at the way his breathing hitched. His eyes were already on her mouth. "Kal …"

"We can't."

"Why not? We have six hours to kill. What else would you rather spend it doing?"

"We shoul –"

She cut him off by pressing her fingers firmly against his mouth. Her voice shook with supressed desire when she continued. "Before you finish that sentence, Kal, you should know that even given the recent circumstances, I have been monumentally patient about this –"

"This is you being –"

She interrupted him again, this time with her tongue as she kissed him deeply. "And I think, if you make me wait any longer, I might just go mad. So please," she kissed his cheek, "please …" his lips, "please …"

She got to placing one, heated, brand of her mouth against his neck before he finally snapped. Suddenly, the top half of her suit was lying in two distinct pieces either side of the chair, and Kal's hands were—well, everywhere his mouth wasn't. Relief and desire tripled in her as Alexa tilted her head back, a trail of flame being traced up her throat. She moaned as he thumbed her nipples, then retaliated, kissing him hungrily and then biting at his bottom lip. Not something she'd ever allowed herself to do with any other lover, but she had no fear of hurting him. He groaned, and suddenly they were both on the medical treatment bed, Kal above her. Not the most Amazonian of positions, but right now she couldn't find it in her to care. His suit went the same way as hers had, bearing them to each other. Alexa wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling their hips together with just two too many layers between. They both still moaned at the contact, and when his mouth descended again to her chest, she arched her back, fingers twining in his hair to keep up the pleasurable torment. It all felt indescribably wonderful, but Aphrodite help her, this just wasn't happening fast enough. She was no more careful—though perhaps she should have been—about removing the lower half of his suit than she had been about the top, and neither was he, so within another ten seconds they were both unclothed. And for both of them, the universe ceased to exist. At no point, in all the instances of wanting him, of finding him attractive, sexy even, had she ever stopped to consider just how … beautiful he really was. It simply emanated from him in the same way his goodness did. She could not have been more reverent if her lover had been the sun god himself. She saw something similar dawn in Ka's eyes, and he kissed her then, with more emotion in it than she'd ever thought could be conveyed that way. Her heart swelled, her breath caught and wouldn't start again.

He ran a soft hand through her hair. "I don't want to hu –"

"You won't."

He was still as tender and gentle as he could be, though, when he pushed inside her. She drew in a sharp breath at feeling her body filled—not at the pressure, but at his size. Not that she made a habit of choosing … inconsiderable lovers, but Kal more than surpassed them all. Just as she'd been sure he would, closing her eyes in bliss.

When they were completely joined, air began flooding into her lungs. The sensation of wholeness was almost enough to take it away immediately again, their first movement together already too much to bear. She craved more of it, and moved her hips in time with his, refusing to look away from him, refusing to close her eyes against the intensity. There was nothing tentative about their rhythm—it was slow, yes, but because the sensuality of it was what they both needed. The further the reality of it sank in—the more she felt his muscles moving under his skin, the more acutely she heard his ragged breathing, the more clearly she saw his feelings for her in his gaze—the greater the pleasure became. This was now, this was happening, this was him and her and the cementing of everything that had existed, did and would ever exist between them. This was wishes coming true, dreams being quite literally fulfilled. It was promises being made. It all spilled from her in one, long, rapt, wonderous mantra of his name.

In another ship, which was on its way through the system Pinea sat in, on its way back to Earth from New Genesis, the two-person crew had just picked up the Javelin's distress signal. In the ship was Mr Miracle himself, Scott Free, and Dove. Not the first teenage member of the League to bear the name, of course, but this had hardly been his first mission. But he was still too young to be hearing what he was now.

It had started innocently enough. Picking up a distress signal, Mr Miracle had opened a comms. channel to let Superman and Batwoman know they were here, and ascertain why they needed assistance. But as soon as the channel was open, Mr Miracle's words died in his throat. Because what was coming through the speakers from the other Javelin did not sound like they were in distress. At all. He felt his jaw drop.

So did Dove's. "Is that-?" he breathed.

To remove any doubt, Scott heard what was definitely Alexa's voice. It was chanting, "Oh, Kal, Kal, Kal …"

Scott hurriedly closed the comms. channel. He really didn't think his ears could stand to hear Superman's – For that matter, his brain couldn't stand to think it either. "Okay …"

"That was … That was …"

"We don't know that. I'm sure there's a perfectly –"

The look the teenager sent him was sceptical. "Sir, I'm nineteen. I've watched enough porn in my life to know what sex sounds like. "

"Yes, well, um … We should probably let them know –"

"If you're planning on interrupting them, you can just jettison me into space now," Dove said hurriedly. "I mean, she's scary enough the rest of the time, let alone when she's mid –"

"A-Alright, you may have a point."

"Look, I doubt they'll notice if we just towed them home, right? We have a tractor beam after all."

"True."

"So let's just do that. You contact the GLs and let them know we've got the Javelin, and I'll concentrate on flying the ship and scrubbing my brain with mind-bleach. Work for you?"

"Works for me. Plot a course and take us home."

It was about an hour and a half past the allotted six hours by the time Alexa realised that the GLs should have picked them up by now. But it was still a few moments before she could care about it. She was nearly, nearly on the verge of the first sleep she'd had in about twenty four hours, after all. Not that she was complaining about how she'd spent the last seven hours and thirty eight minutes. Far from it. Now though, it was too warm, to unutterably pleasant in Kal's arms to even think about stirring from them. Likewise, every part of her ached and buzzed in the best afterglow after. It sounded tired, old and clichéd, but, goddesses, she could be taken to the Elysian Fields now, and she would die a very happy woman. Sweaty, but happy.

"We should have been rescued by now," she murmured.

"Let them rescue themselves for once," Kal replied, obviously more than halfway asleep and not paying attention to what she'd said.

He dropped a kiss to her hair and ran a finger down her spine. Ultra-sensitised as she was (now), even that was enough to cause her to shiver and hiss through her teeth sharply, at which he chuckled lowly. "By the goddesses, you're going to be the death of me …"

"That doesn't sound like a complaint to me, Alexa …"

She tilted her head, considering. "I can think of worse ways to go, I guess." She sat up, stretched languidly. "But seriously, we should have heard from the Lanterns by now."

She got to her feet, and then discovered that walking in a straight line was going to take some adjustment. Naturally, Kal noticed, and got the wrong idea. "I knew it—I hurt you, didn't I?"

"No," she smiled. "There's just a little aching in … some places. But it's the good kind of ache, trust me."

He looked a little more relieved. "So, any sign of the GLs? Did we drift off-course or something?"

Alexa moved forward from the back of the ship, only getting as far as the middle. Once she could see out of the front window. She froze in her tracks. "Oh great Hera."

Concerned by the very rare shock and confusion on her voice, Kal went to stand by her side. And experienced a similar reaction. "Rao…"

They were orbiting a very familiar planet. With a very familiar space station just coming over the curve of the Earth. He really hoped none of the Watchtower cameras were pointed in their direction.

A/N: Review please!