Mission 15: Part 1

It had been several weeks since the harrowing battle in East Africa and despite the tragedy, things were finally beginning to return to some sense of routine normalcy. Amid the hustle and bustle of the Atlantis Base personnel, Jake Massey walked the hallways enjoying the relative quiet that came with not having to deal with a Xeno attack. After leaving the base's central atrium, he made his way toward the science labs and cheerfully whistled the marching tune of the British Grenadiers.

Before he entered the lab, he stopped and took a moment to look at his reflection in a polished glass window, admiring his newly issued duty uniform again. He wore the same slacks and bluish gray duty jacket as his fellow Nova Rangers except his was personally accented with a silver colored piping. He gave his reflection a wink and nodded in satisfaction, "Ah Jake… you are one good looking bloke."

He entered the main research lab and ambled past a few busy scientists until he found who he was looking for. "Hey Dr. Beckett! How goes the work on my morpher?"

The base's chief engineer glanced up from her lab table as she continued to fiddle with the new morpher using some special instruments. "Corporal, hello. I wasn't expecting you to come by for a while yet."

"Sorry," the Silver Ranger shrugged, "I was just a little anxious waiting. Hopefully you were able to fix all the bugs in my equipment?"

Lucy put down her tools and wiped her brow with a weary half smile, "Well, not exactly. I've been making some progress in repairing the morpher, but I haven't quite worked out all the bugs yet. For now, you should be able to hold your morph for a longer period of time and the majority of your suit's defenses have been restored."

Jake took the morpher, "Thanks Doctor. When I'm not on ready status, I'll bring this back for more servicing."

"Oh? Is the General sending you guys on another mission?" Lucy asked curiously.

"It's possible. I'm actually on my way to a meeting with him and the other Rangers right now. I figured I'd pick this up and grab Erin while she's here too."

He pointed over and Lucy followed his finger to where her aide Julian and Erin were busy over a piece of equipment. Just across the way on the other side of the lab, Julian Wilson sat hunched over a lab table working to calibrate Erin's universal translator. While he continued fine tuning it, Erin sat nearby excitedly chattering away, "I can't wait to try out the updates to this thing Julian. I know it's only been a couple weeks but I've already learned so much from Tal."

Julian stopped and looked up a moment with a mildly incredulous expression, "Tal? You've actually given that thing a nickname?"

"Taldyr is not some kind of savage animal Julian," Erin explained, "He may be an alien, but he's still a living breathing person just like you and I."

The young tech grumbled, "Yeah… one who still comes from a violent murderous alien race. You've been spending an awful lot of time talking with him."

"Well, why not?" Erin shrugged, "We can learn a lot from Taldyr, especially if he is serious about deserting from the Xeno forces. I think it might help to try and be welcoming and open minded. I'm sure he could use someone to trust right now."

Julian sighed and finished his modifications before handing the device back to the Yellow Ranger, "I just think you should be careful Erin. If he already betrayed his own army, there's no telling if that Xeno would put a knife in our backs too and steal an escape craft."

She gave him a friendly elbow before walking off with a wave, "I appreciate the concern Julian, but we're actually going to be off to a meeting with the General and our new guest. Hopefully we can figure something out. Thanks again!"

"Don't mention it," Julian sighed with a resigned wave before turning back to his workstation and continuing with his next project.

A short while later, Erin and Jake made their way to the central Command Tower and headed into General Caldwell's briefing room. There they found the other Rangers waiting while the Xeno soldier Taldyr sat at the far end of the table. He had his arms and legs cuffed while two armed guards stood watch over him from behind.

Caldwell greeted the last two Rangers with a brief nod before taking his place at the head of the table, "All right. We can get this meeting started now. Rangers, I think you can see that some of the 'circumstances' in our war have changed."

He gestured to Taldyr across the table, "For one thing, we have a new prisoner and one that I think could prove to be a valuable ally as well. As you remember, this is Taldyr."

Martin cleared his throat and cast a wary eye toward the alien, "You'll forgive me General, but I'm still uncomfortable with having a Xeno here sitting at the table and being involved in a classified briefing."

Caldwell nodded, "I understand your concern Captain, but given what we've already learned over the course of these last few weeks, I think it's worth the risk to extend a gesture of good will toward Taldyr."

The alien simply gave a quiet nod of understanding before Caldwell gestured to Erin, "Lieutenant Reilly, you've been the one taking the lead on interviewing the alien. I'd like for you to report on your findings."

Erin nodded and passed out some copies of a file to her teammates, "Of course General. I'm sure you all know that Taldyr is an Eidolon soldier and they now form the bulk of the Xeno infantry forces. They're genetically close to us humans and have been artificially created to be superior soldiers. Both the male and female troopers on average are taller, stronger, and have more acute senses than us regular humans."

"That is correct Lieutenant Reilly," said the Xeno drawing all eyes on him, "After the first failed attack on your planet, the Overlord saw that there was a weakness in his old drone soldiers. The Xenos needed to adapt and field soldiers who could take initiative and react better to new battlefield conditions."

Erik eyed the trooper slowly before speaking, "You Eidolons have been a lot tougher to fight but you've failed to score any significant gains either."

Taldyr shifted in his seat uncomfortably, "It is a trial and error process. Every new generation of us that is grown have shown improvements… except things have changed. There is something that my superiors have found to be worrying."

The table fell silent as Erin cleared her throat and explained, "Taldyr has told me that the Eidolons still suffer from a true lack of free thinking and creativity. There are some rare soldiers like him that demonstrate the ability for greater thought and they are given leadership positions."

Bharata scratched his chin, "I think I'm starting to understand. The Xenos have some fear that the soldiers like Taldyr here might become too independent and hard to control?"

Taldyr grimaced and nodded, "That is correct. I have begun to see the way that my brothers and sisters are treated… used as expendable cannon fodder. Accepting that fate and sending by brethren to meaningless deaths… it does not sit well with me. Commander Decimus was a monster and had to be stopped so I tried to kill him… not so much for the sake of your human civilians, but for my own people."

Erin crossed her arms, "Taldyr has no desire to fight a needless battle with us humans, but he doesn't want to fight against his own kind either."

Martin scrutinized her carefully, "That might sound nice, but do you actually believe him Erin?"

Erin hesitated a moment before nodding, "I… I do. That's the reason I asked General Caldwell to allow him to meet with us today."

The Red Ranger turned to the alien, "You've told us a compelling story Taldyr. If you really mean what you say, then I sympathize a little. But you also have to understand our position too. For all we know, this could be some kind of trick. What reason do we have to trust you?"

"I suppose you don't," Taldyr shrugged, "Lieutenant Reilly tells me you are the leader of the Rangers. I can't fault you for being mistrustful of me Captain, especially if our roles were reversed."

Ella cleared her throat and turned to her team, "General Caldwell, I had spoken with Erin and Dr. Beckett and we think we have a solution to help with this issue."

The older commander sat down and gave a kind nod, "Go on Lt. Catalano."

Ella rose from her seat, "You guys remember the Adventi data cache that we had found in Mexico, right? There are large parts of it that are heavily encrypted in alien script and Erin has struggled to make sense of that. I'm suggesting that we ask Taldyr to help us translate the information. If Erin's hunch about a cultural link are true, there might be data in there that can help us upgrade our weaponry and I think we can agree that we need to after the battle with Decimus."

"What do you say Taldyr? We could use your help," Caldwell said.

The Xeno wrinkled his features, "You realize you are asking me to help advance your weaponry which will no doubt be used on my fellow comrades."

Erin extended a hand, "Believe me, we don't want to fight this war any more than you do. The sooner we can end it, the less people get killed on both sides. We're extending some trust here and offering you a chance to work with us. If you simply let the Xenos win, you'd likely return to your old life of servitude, or maybe even be tried for treason."

Taldyr fell silent and frowned with a pensive look. After a long pause, he spoke, "I understand I am still a prisoner of war here, but I suppose I will try and help you. You have shown me nothing but kindness and understanding since I came here Erin Reilly. I thank you for that."

Caldwell gave a nod while the other Rangers voiced approval towards Erin, "Very good. Let's get on the project right away. If we can improve our defenses, then there's no time to lose."

Suddenly, the door opened and one of the command tower's communication officers entered with a data pad. He gave a salute and presented the pad, "General Caldwell, I'm sorry to interrupt you sir, but there's an urgent dispatch for you. It's from the President of Indonesia."

Caldwell took the slate and began reading it quickly while the other Rangers turned to look at Bharata. At the mention of trouble in his own home country, the Green Ranger sat patiently waiting for news while trying his best to maintain a calm expression.

After reading the datapad, Caldwell handed it back to the officer, "Thank you. Please inform the President that I'll contact him within the hour."

He waited for the aide to leave the room before looking to the Rangers, "I'm afraid we've got some complications here Rangers."

Bharata spoke first, "Sir?"

"We've just received word there's been a major seaquake in Asia. Our sister outpost of Garuda Base in the Indian Ocean says Malaysia and Indonesia have been struck by a resulting tsunami."

The table went silent before Bharata spoke again, "How bad was it General?"

Caldwell folded his hands behind his back, "It's hard to say Lieutenant. Reports are still coming in, but we're expecting at least several hundreds have been displaced or killed right now. The President of Indonesia is requesting aid from the UNAF for security, supplies, and help with search and rescue."

Bharata immediately stood up, "Requesting permission to return home and help, sir."

Martin nodded and joined the Green Ranger, "I'm with Bara, General. Some of us should go to help too. It's the least we can do."

General Caldwell chewed his lip thoughtfully for a moment before nodding, "All right. Permission granted. Captain, assemble a detail to provide some aid. The rest of you I want working on those translations. Until then, I'm going to be speaking with the President of Indonesia and then attending an important meeting with some UN officials. Dismissed."

Everyone rose and saluted before Caldwell exited the room. As Taldyr was escorted out by the guards, Jake put an encouraging hand on the Green Ranger's shoulder, "Cheer up mate. I know you're worried, but we'll do our best to help your people out."

Bharata took several deep breaths before giving a weak smile to his teammates, "Thank you… all of you. Now let's get going. I need to go home."

Later that day, the light from the transport sequence faded as Bharata Timothy found himself back in his home city of Jakarta Indonesia. He was accompanied by Martin, Eric, and Ella and the four had been teleported to a small UNAF staging area which had been set up at the edge of the city. According to the initial reports, the brunt of the tidal wave was further north and the neighboring island of Sumatra had suffered the worst of it. Despite being largely shielded from the disaster, the shockwaves have still caused some significant damage and destruction to the western part of the island of Java and Jakarta had become the center point for the relief efforts.

Bharata could see crowds of local volunteers being organized while several UNAF aircraft buzzed overhead. The Marauder gunships which normally served as troop transports and aerial fire support now worked busily to ferry relief supplies as well as rescue crews and civilian casualties. The team made its way through the bustle of enlisted UN volunteers and Red Cross workers until they found one of the leaders who was coordinating the efforts. An older Indonesian Colonel in the UNAF turned and gave a small wave as the Rangers approached his open air tent. He had laid out a map on a table and was busy coordinating the recovery of injured people and the deliveries of supplies. In any other scenario, he would have looked like he was directing a battle instead.

The short portly commander put on his field cap and stood straight as the Rangers stopped and saluted him. "Welcome Rangers. I am Colonel Anwar. I'm glad you've come to help."

Bharata served as a translator as he spoke between them in Indonesian, "Glad to be here sir. Just tell us where you need us."

Anwar glanced over and pointed toward tents at the other end of the grounds, "We've set up a makeshift hospital for the injured. You four can start by helping the Red Cross doctors there. I think we should be getting a new wave of civilians shortly so be ready."

Erik patted the large medkit slung around his side which was stuffed with first aid supplies, "All right then, let's do it."

After leaving the Colonel and heading toward the medical tents, the four friends halted as they saw a Marauder gunship touch down nearby and open its side hatches. Several volunteers and medical workers rushed out with stretchers and began fetching injured civilians who had been delivered. When the Rangers entered the tents, Bharata froze and let out a gasp. He rushed forward toward a nearby cot where a newly arrived victim lay.

"Erik! Come quick! Help this man please!"

The Green Ranger bent down over the older Indonesian man in the stretcher and wiped away some blood and dirt from the victim's head. He looked to be a man in his sixties with short gray hair and distinguished features. Like Bharata, the man had a preference for green colored clothing as well as a strong wiry build hinting at great unexpected strength. The patient cracked open his eyes tiredly and tried to focus on the Ranger in front of him before croaking out, "Bharata… you came back."

"I'm here now Mentor. You just hold on. I promise you're going to be okay," Bharata said while Erik began to prepare some fresh dressings and an IV.

The older man nodded and gave a tired sigh before falling asleep again. Bharata took the man's hand and held it firmly while the Blue Ranger looked over, "Bara? You know this guy?"

Bharata looked up slowly with a drawn face, "He's my mentor, Basuki Surya. Please Erik… don't let him die."

Ella put her hands over her mouth before Martin took her gently by the shoulders and led her away, "Come on Ella… let's see what we can do to help the rest of the staff here."

As he watched the two head off, Bharata turned back toward Erik who was busy speaking to a nurse and assessing Basuki's condition. For now he could only pray that his friends back in Atlantis Base were having a better time of their assignment than he was.

Meanwhile at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, General Caldwell made his way through the halls being escorted by a senior staffer there. The Commander of Atlantis Base presented a spit polished appearance in his dress blue military uniform and carried a dark binder of paper notes with him for his meeting. He didn't quite know what to expect, but he was sure it wasn't going to be pleasant.

After taking an elevator to the upper floors of the building, Caldwell was led to a large conference room where he was met by a small panel of UN officials. The front table appeared to be chaired by three people while several other junior bureaucrats and observers sat off to the side. The aide stopped and gestured to the panel, "General Caldwell, this is the inquiry panel of the International Oversight Committee led by Mr. Louis Dumont of Belgium, Ms. Indira Gupta of India, and Mr. Javier Ortiz of Brazil."

The aide turned and departed as Caldwell stepped forward toward a podium facing the panel. He stopped and stood at proud rigid attention. Mr. Dumont was the first to address him and eyed him curiously, "General Caldwell, thank you for coming. I trust your trip here was pleasant?"

"Yes sir. I apologize for any delay," Caldwell replied levelly, "I have been working to help coordinate relief efforts in Asia after news of the tsunami today."

"Yes... a tragic business," Ms. Gupta chimed in, "We thank you for your attention to it."

"General Marcus Caldwell…" the Belgian official continued, "You've had a long distinguished career in the Canadian Air Force and your tenure serving the United Nations Armed Forces has been equally impressive."

"Thank you Mr. Dumont," Caldwell answered with short and direct military poise.

Dumont folded his hands, "Since you've been put in command of the Atlantis Base outpost, you've never given this body any reason to question your judgment… until now."

"What specific issues would you like me to address?"

Ms. Gupta leaned forward and scrutinized him, "We have concerns about the events in East Africa… about the hundreds of innocent civilians of Tadjoura who were massacred in their shelters by the alien invaders."

Caldwell grimaced slightly, "We followed standard protocol. Our orbital relay station had been disabled and Nova Squadron was sent on a recon patrol to investigate. By the time they had assessed the threat, we were unable to send backup units in time."

"We are quite aware of what the protocol and deployments were," Ms. Gupta said as her voice grew a little more snippy and terse, "We've reviewed statements from the survivors as well as the report of Nova Squad's commander Captain Sterling."

Caldwell stood in place waiting with ramrod straight posture.

The third chairperson from Brazil, Mr. Ortiz cleared his throat and spoke, "General, we are aware that there is an alien prisoner in your custody… a soldier by the name of Taldyr."

Caldwell nodded, "That is correct."

Ortiz narrowed his gaze and interjected, "We would like to know General, why it is that this Taldyr has not been handed over to UNAF High Command yet?"

Caldwell eyed the three politicians quietly while gathering his thoughts, "I believe the prisoner is of more use to us being confined to Atlantis Base. From what I have seen, Taldyr has expressed ambivalent feelings towards his fellow Xenos and seems open to defecting. If he does, he will be an invaluable source of information."

"You forget your place General," Dumont snorted in derision, "The things that go on in Atlantis Base still fall under the purview of the UN provisional government. Our scientists and government intelligence people should be the ones interrogating him. Not you."

Caldwell kept his poise and confronted them, "With respect, but I think I trust my own scientists and base personnel more. For one thing, the prototype morpher issued to the new Silver Nova Ranger by your people has proved defective, unreliable, and dangerous to the operator in battle."

The Brazilian chairman's eyes lit up with a trace of outrage, "Are you daring to suggest that you know better than us General?"

"About conducting military operations and using resources properly? Yes." Caldwell answered defiantly, "Right now, we are sitting on a new treasure trove of data on alien technology. It's still heavily encrypted and we believe Taldyr can help us decipher it."

The panel regarded Caldwell in silence, both intrigued by his words, but also incensed at his stubbornness. The General took a breath and spoke in a calmer more placating tone, "The brave hard working men and women serving under me have been the ones holding the front lines and developing technology to keep us safe... from the soldiers, to the engineers and scientists, to the Nova Rangers. They know what they're doing and I trust them completely. All I'm doing is asking that you continue to trust me and to let our people do their job without undue interference. The sooner we can bring an end to this whole war, the more lives we can save."

Ms. Gupta glared at Caldwell and leaned back in her seat before shuffling some of her papers, "Thank you General. We will consider your words. For now you will carry on your duties, but I caution you… do not get too comfortable or assured of your own importance to High Command either. We will be watching you and your Rangers very carefully."

Caldwell kept his expression neutral to mask his indignation and anger at the condescension and threats of the government bureaucrats. He snapped off a brisk salute and did a swift about face before marching out of the room. For now it seemed that he and his people would be safe from political interference, but he could only wonder for how much longer.