Mission 16: Part 6

After being escorted to safety by the UNAF space fleet, the Rangers reentered the Earth's atmosphere and were given a hero's welcome at the landing strip of Atlantis Base. The shuttlecraft Ulysses limped back onto its home runway, battered, scorched, and barely hanging together, but still intact just like its crew. Both Lucy and General Caldwell were there to greet them along with a horde of base personnel and grounds crewmen. Because of the covert nature of the mission, there had been complete radio silence for an entire day and no one in the command tower had been able to know if the Nova Rangers had succeeded in their mission or were lost on the moon.

An emergency medical crew was also present on the runway and were the first ones on to the shuttle the moment it parked. Erik had done his job of stabilizing Julian's grievous blaster wound, but now was their turn to take over and give him proper treatment as well. Everyone cleared the way as the younger tech was carried off on a stretcher with an IV running. After the Rangers got through being mobbed by the first wave of base personnel, they were all surprised to receive big hugs from a visibly emotional Dr. Beckett. As she finished with Martin and let go of him, she gave a confused look and scanned their ranks, "Wait... where is Taldyr? Did he make it back with you?"

"No Doc," Bharata replied while shaking his head, "He decided to stay behind by choice... or rather it was part of an elaborate plan. We now have a friendly agent planted within the enemy ranks to spy on them and help sabotage their efforts."

Ella stepped forward holding the new Conduit helmet out to Lucy, "We got what we came for though. Please do what you can to help save Erin now."

Dr. Beckett took the helmet and gave a resolute nod, "I will Ella, and thank you. I promise I'll find a way."

She paused a moment and wrinkled her features, "About Julian... is he going to..."

"He'll be fine," Erik nodded, "I made sure of that."

"Please don't be too upset with us. You should be very proud to have such a brave assistant," the Pink Ranger added gratefully, "Julian saved my life on that mission and he didn't think twice about risking himself either."

As Lucy nodded and stepped back, Caldwell gave a warm smile to the team and extended his hand to each of them, "Welcome home Rangers. I'm glad to see all of you are safe again. What you did today... well, it defied all odds."

"It hasn't been the first time General," Martin answered with a tired smile, "We all had a single minded purpose and everyone on this team contributed their skills. You were right to choose these people as Rangers and I've come to learn why over this past year. If we can go up to the moon and deal a blow to the aliens on their own home turf, then there might be hope we can win this war after all."

"I second the feelings," Jake said as he threw a friendly arm over his commander and turned to address Caldwell, "But seeing as how we survived this mission by the skin of our teeth, I think we'll all need some time to rest and recover too. With the General's permission, may we be excused to go on vacation for the next two months?"

Caldwell chuckled, "Trust me Corporal, I'll grant all of you extended leaves, but first you need to stay here and be debriefed. My office. Tomorrow morning. Ten hundred hours. "

"Right then," Jake nodded to his fellow Rangers, "I guess we'll just have to settle for getting trolleyed tonight."

Everyone looked to him with perplexed looks causing the Silver Ranger to sigh, "Oh you know what I mean... we'll go out and get drunk? Am I the only one speaking English here?"

Bharata sighed and patted Jake's shoulder as they kept walking, "My friend, we might want to stay at least semi sober until after that meeting."

"Jake's kind of right though," Erik said putting companionable arms over Martin and Ella, "It probably wouldn't hurt to grab a large juicy burger and a few pints of beer. What do you guys say?"

Ella nodded with a tired smile as they walked off following their other teammates, "Agreed. If this was just our welcoming committee here, I'm sure every bar in the West End will be saving us seats and buying us rounds tonight. What are we waiting for?"

Two days later, the Nova Rangers reconvened in the base's medical recovery ward to pay visits to its two newest occupants. After having been debriefed and taking a day to decompress from the harrowing mission, the Rangers were eager to check up on the status of Erin and Julian. Using the recovered Conduit helmet, Lucy had succeeded in adjusting the device to safely neutralize the harmful effects on Erin's brainwaves. When they came to visit her, they found her sitting up in bed reading a book before she put it down and graced them with a bright smile.

After greeting her teammates with big hugs and kisses on their cheeks, Erin sat back and listened as Erik reported on the most recent medical updates. "The way it's looking, you're going to be okay. Because we didn't wait too long with your condition, the doctors here all agree there should be no permanent brain damage and you should be on your feet in a couple days."

The Yellow Ranger nodded with a grateful sigh, "As much as I want to get back to action, I have to admit that it's been nice to get a few days to stay off my feet."

"You must have been bored out of your mind Lieutenant," Jake noted as he set down a vase of flowers the team had brought for her.

"Not at all. In fact, I decided to make myself useful while you guys were all risking your necks out there," Erin replied. She picked up a datapad from her bedside and handed it to Martin, "I worked out the last of the Adventi translations the slow way and put them on this file. A lot of it was very technical, but it sounds like it'll be really useful to upgrading our gear. Please give this to Dr. Beckett for me?"

"Thanks Erin. I will," Martin nodded as he took the datapad, "For now, I'm giving you orders to just rest and recover. I know how much you love to argue with me, but I'd like you to do this please."

She smiled and nodded, "Yes sir... and thank you again."

The Yellow Ranger shifted in her bed and turned with another bright smile to her other roommate in the ward, "Spending a few days here won't be so bad. I've got Julian here to keep me company after all."

The tech returned the smile from his own bed where he was propped up among pillows and blankets. Despite the bandages and tubes taped to the wound in his side, he was looking much stronger and his color was returning. "Hey I'm just keeping my promises. I figured you and Dr. Beckett would be pretty pissed off at me if I got killed on that mission."

"Well we're glad you didn't," Ella said as she sat down beside him and ruffled his hair, "Otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten a chance to say thank you again for what you did for me. I owe you one."

The Pink Ranger leaned down and gave him an innocent kiss on the cheek causing him to blush sheepishly. "Oh... gee Ella, don't mention it. You're welcome."

Bharata clapped Julian's other shoulder and gave a conspiratorial wink, "Well, I guess we shouldn't bother our friends too long. They do have a bit of catching up to do while recovering."

Erik grinned, "He's right. General Caldwell did grant us all some time off and we were going to be heading out on leave soon. I think everyone is eager to go home and see their families again for a few weeks."

"You will be going back to Ireland to visit yours when you're cleared by the doctors, right?" Ella asked Erin.

The Yellow Ranger paused and considered the expectant look of her friend's face before nodding, "Yeah... I think that would be a good idea Ella. But for what it's worth... I'll miss you guys, even if it's just for a few weeks."

"We'll be back soon enough luv. And don't think I forgot about our dart game either," Jake said cheerfully.

"This time I'm going to win," Erin laughed as her fellow Rangers said one more round of goodbyes before heading out of the ward.

After they departed, a brief companionable silence fell over the room before Julian turned to Erin hesitantly, "So... now what do we do?"

Erin considered the question for a moment before touching her cheek and reaching her hand out with a gentle smile, "Well, how about we sit and talk for a bit... just you and me?"

Julian laughed and reached his own hand out from his bed to hold hers, "Yeah... I'd like that."

Munich, Germany

A light layer of frost and snow covered the ground as the light of the transporter beam faded around Erik Dobermann Jr. The Blue Nova Ranger looked around and saw the sights of the familiar suburban neighborhood and the small cozy brick house standing before him. His grandparents knew he was coming and would certainly be waiting by the window for him. Like the other Rangers, he had left Atlantis Base in civilian clothes suited to the current winter season. He straightened his dark blue Navy style peacoat in respect to his father and the fact that he wanted to look presentable for coming home again.

All pretense was immediately tossed aside the moment the door opened and he saw the little form of his daughter Sarah rush out to meet him. She had barely put on her shoes, much less a winter coat as she dashed outside with an excited squeal. "Papa! You're back!"

Erik bent down and scooped his daughter up and gave her a big hug and kiss on the cheek, "I'm here liebchen. (dearest) I'm so glad to see you. Where is your coat?"

"Back inside. It would take too long to put on," she said as Erik carried her down the sidewalk.

"Well you're going to get sick you little munchkin. If you do, then that means we can't go out and do fun things together while I'm home," he sighed as he wrapped his blue scarf around her and plopped his German Air Force beret on her head.

"Did you bring me anything neat Papa?" Sarah asked hopefully as they reached the front steps of the house. Erik thought for a moment and reached into his coat pocket.

"As a matter of fact, I did."

He produced the commendation medal he had been awarded for his actions in Dubai and pinned it to her sweater, "How would you like to hold on to that for me?"

"Cool!" she said as she admired the medal and the ribbon, "Did you get this for beating the aliens for good this time?"

He shook his head and gave her another kiss on the head, "No sweetheart, the war isn't over yet. But I got that for helping save a lot of people. Now why don't we go back inside, have some dinner, and I'll tell you all about it, hm?"

Jakarta, Indonesia

Basuki Surya grunted as he lugged a bag of rice back into his modest little home not far from the coast. After the tsunami, the people of the island nation were still recovering and rebuilding their homes, but fortunately his did not take too much damage. It would still be a lot of work, but he was grateful that his water and electricity was still working. He had a pot of water boiling on a wood burning stove and was looking forward to sitting down for some tea when he stopped in surprise at the sight before him. Walking up the garden path came Bharata Timothy, dressed down to a green polo shirt and khaki shorts.

The older man dropped the bag of rice and walked out to greet his charge with a hug, "Welcome back my boy. I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

Bharata smiled warmly and shook his head, "Honestly, I didn't expect I'd be back at all after the last mission I was on. I've been given a few weeks of leave time and I couldn't think of a better way to spend it. Do you need help carrying that rice Mentor?"

Basuki led him toward the porch and put a hand on his shoulder while they walked, "Thank you. I've got a pot of tea on right now. Why don't we sit down, drink some tea, and you tell me all about your adventures."

Milan, Italy

Carmella Catalano gave a knock at the door to her family's townhome in downtown Milan. While Atlantis Base could be a busy and exciting place, it didn't quite match the bustle and charm of her own home city. The fact that she could hear everyone around her speaking Italian was a nice little change of pace as well. As was only proper, she made sure to dress well as she returned among her people and wore some stylish dark jeans with a warm leather jacket and a pink winter beret. A brisk chilly breeze blew while the sounds of car horns and chatty pedestrians passed by.

Moments later, the front door opened and she was greeted by the warm smiles of her two parents Dante and Bianca. Her mother was the first to give her a big hug and pinch her cheeks, "Ella! Welcome home dear! It's been so long!"

"I know, and I'm sorry about that Mom," she replied as she set her suitcase down in the hallway, "I've been a little busy and things have been a little... well, crazy at work. Good news is, I'll be home for a few weeks."

Mrs. Catalano waved it off and patted her daughter's cheek lovingly, "Well at least it looks like you've been staying healthy and eating enough. Come in! I was preparing some lasagna. I know it's not as good as your aunt's but maybe you could help me and give some of your brilliant suggestions."

"Sure Mom! I'd be happy to help!"

Bristol, England

Jake Massey made his way down the narrow streets of his own home city of Bristol. The cold November wind nipped at his neck and Jake huddled into his green field jacket he had once worn during his time with the British army. He adjusted a gray woolen winter cap to keep his head warm as he made his last turn down the winding side street of the working class neighborhood. He carried a grocery bag under one arm and opened up a door leading into a modest apartment building.

He made his way up the stairwell for a few flights until he reached the right flat. He gave the door a knock and waited patiently. After a minute, he heard the door unlock and another young man peeked through the doorway. He looked to be Jake's age and had a similar build suggesting he had been in the military as well. "Jake? Is that you?"

"Percy! Good to see you mate! Can I come in?" Jake grinned as he offered the bag, "I brought you a little gift, some extra food and treats I picked up along the way. I think there's a package of biscuits. I figure we can crack them open."

"Thanks. I'll put some tea on," Percy nodded inviting him inside. Jake took a look around the lonely spartan apartment that his old friend and squadmate was living in. Percy had been the only other survivor of their original squad in the battle of London five years ago. It had affected him greatly, unfortunately much more than it had traumatized Jake. The Silver Ranger gave an encouraging look, "How have you been holding up my friend?"

"Getting by," Percy shrugged, "The PTSD still comes and goes, but never really goes away, you know?"

Jake nodded in understanding before Percy cleared his throat and tried to change the subject, "So what the hell are you doing here? I thought you'd be home visiting your own folks, especially after I heard you became a Ranger."

Jake shrugged and sat down on the couch where a football match was playing on the television, "My parents? They're both off being too busy with the army and politics to really notice I'm in. I figured I might as well do some good and help take care of one of my old friends."

Percy gave a grateful nod and headed for the kitchen, "Thanks Jake. I'll get that tea, yeah?"

Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA)

A light snow was already falling when Martin Sterling teleported in and made his way through the front door of the downtown recreation center. He loosened his red scarf and brushed some snow from his dark wool coat before asking for some directions at the front desk. He made his way to the other end of the building and entered a large community gymnasium. On that particular day, mats had been laid out on the floors along with a balance beam.

At that time, it looked like a class had ended and the gym was clearing out. A group of preteen girls in workout clothes made their way out carrying gym bags and chattering loudly with each other. The Red Ranger politely let them pass by before heading over to the young woman who remained in the gym wiping down the balance beam. "Darn, looks like I just missed class. I'm not going to get points deducted, am I?"

Christina turned around in shock and dropped the towel. She rushed over and threw her arms around him, almost knocking him over with her hug. The two shared a long kiss before she let go slightly and looked up at him, "Martin... you're here... how? I wasn't expecting..."

"I figured I'd surprise you. I would have come a little sooner, but I had some things to take care of first, what with a war being on and all."

"Better late than never," she smiled, "I thought you were going to go back home to Chicago first and see your parents."

"I'm still going to, but I changed my mind a little," he said with a laugh while continuing to hold her, "I wanted to sneak in a quick visit here first. Just so you didn't worry too much. Maybe you thought I bought the farm and already moved on."

Christina gave a mild huff before reaching up and kissing him again, this time in the same place and in the same way Lucy had kissed him before he left for his last mission. He stopped a moment and wore a pensive look on his face. Christina tilted her head slightly, "Martin? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah... everything is fine."

She took his hand and led him out of the gym, "Good. Let's get out of here. Maybe find some place to grab dinner? What do you say?"

Atlantis Base, Mess Hall

By now, late evening had already fallen over the base. The last of the dinner crowd and dwindled and aside from a few stragglers, the place was quiet and empty. Dr. Lucy Beckett sat by herself at a table near the large bay windows overlooking the calm oceans. As she sat drinking a hot cup of coffee, she studied the datapad in front of her. Much to her amazement, Erin had succeeded in finishing her translations of the Adventi database. While she skimmed through, a quiet excitement was building within her as she saw potential for many new revolutionary breakthroughs in the advancement of their technology.

Still, that excitement was a little dulled and hollowed by the fact that no one else was here to share it with. All the Rangers had gone home to see their friends and loved ones and on that particular evening, Lucy felt especially alone. Maybe like Martin, she had grown accustomed to the presence of the other Nova Rangers, of their chatter, their laughter, and the unusually close bonds that had cemented over the course of this past year. She liked having them around and if she was honest, maybe even needed it. But her situation was slightly different. Unlike the other Rangers, she didn't have much in the way of immediate relatives that she was close to, nor did she have any spouse or significant others to worry about.

In a sense, she preferred things that way. It let her concentrate on solving problems and going further in her research than her father ever did. She knew she wasn't competing with his memory, but she felt she had to keep pushing forward. It's what he would have wanted and expected of her. Still... what good was all that with no one else to celebrate those triumphs? At that moment, she missed her father, and even those camping trips which she had hated going on with him. Now another one of her new traditions had been disrupted with the departure of her friend Martin over Thanksgiving.

For the past few years, she had gone home with him for the holiday and had dinner with his family. But now things were a little different, especially if he was going to be bringing Christina home, or maybe celebrating with her family. Lucy gave a sigh and picked up the datapad again. For now, she'd stay at her post here and work through it. The Rangers were counting on her to take this information they had taken risks for and improve their weaponry. If it helped to end this war sooner and bring about a lasting peace, then her sacrifice right now would be more than worth it.

A/N:
Hey everyone, thanks again for the continued interest and support of this series. We might have reached the end of the first season, but I want to give special shoutouts again to the following people for their reliable support and awesome contributions to the main cast: ChibiDawn23, Mistycharming, SA June, fantasticrhapsody, and Stormasius. I love you guys and couldn't have gotten this far without you.

Just a few other announcements. In the interim, I will be posting a few extra chapters in the future. They'll be more like fun light-hearted short stories and fillers so anyone who wants to spend some extra downtime with the main cast and even some extras around Atlantis Base should definitely check it out.

Finally, I'll be setting up a new blind poll on my profile that has to do with a major relationship in the main cast. I honestly like both pairings but I'm going to leave it up to you readers to make the final call. And if anyone has ideas for other ships you want pushed, feel free to weigh in too. Thanks again everyone and see you whenever the second half of the series begins!