5
"Excuse me Lieutenant?"
Oh. This was new.
Ianto froze with his hand on the door he was about to enter for his private room, turning slowly to find a steward looking at him with open unease. "Sir?"
"Yes, and… it's Ianto."
"Yes Sir." The man nodded "the the Captain wanted a word, if you could follow me, please sir."
"Why?"
The man had not expected someone with a Military title to question orders and he blinked with alarm before admitting "the Captain is… uneasy… with our next port of call."
"Ah. Right" Ianto started to follow him and as he passed Jack who was sitting on a seat with legs crossed in a layby with a tablet, he reached out to tap his boot before continuing. Jack felt the command in the tap and rose to follow Ianto and as he fell into step the steward glanced at him nervously.
"This is Captain Harkness. He has served too. If there is trouble ahead, you need him too" Ianto said like he was discussing the weather, making Jack tighten his steps so he was now close to Ianto.
They entered the Captain's Quarters to find the older man sitting behind a desk with several tablets scattered about, his face drawn with concern. He rose "Lieutenant Jones… ah…."
"Captain Harkness" Jack supplied with that commanding voice of some who knows he is of equal standing.
"We are nearing our approach on Delta Prime and have lost contact with the flight tower" the Captain explained, his eyes shifting between the two men at parade rest.
"How long since the last transmission?" Jack asked.
"Three parsecs" came a soft reply and they turned to find a small woman behind them, her Asian features showing her Sol3 descent as well as her delicate nature.
"Hello Toshiko" Jack said softly and her eyes widened moments before she launched herself at him with a bark of delight. They hugged fiercely before she collected herself and blushed while apologizing for such a display.
"Doctor Sato and I know one another" Jack explained as he straightened his clothing "I was one of those assigned to protect the hospital she was working in during the insurgence."
"Ah, the Gerran wave" Ianto said softly "I was on the other side of that trying to push them along. We are Soldiers of both the Black and the Dirt."
The Captain looked at the two men and then admitted "we are worried there has been a.. well…"
"Uprising?" Jack supplied "you know the scuttlebutt around the place for a few years was the underground Gerran Forces still struggling to rebuild for another go at the government. If they have finally succeeded, we can't dock there. Even their outer space docks could be comprised, let alone any away vessels sent in for supplies."
"agreed" Ianto swing to Jack like they were the only two in the room "We need to see if we can achieve coms with below, we need some forward scouting vessels and we also need a flight plan out of here into the black as soon as possible. If they have Planet Killers down there, we might already be painted for a pulse shot."
"Lieutenant. A Flight Lieutenant by any chance?" Jack asked.
"Yes, I can fly these big bitches too"
"Good, how about Toshiko works on some coms with their underground, some coms with the military and see if there are any civilian radios squawking down there as well, I will look at firepower and some scenarios before we get too close and you look into flight plans." Jack barked.
"And we put out a call for any other Militarials on board? Just in case?" Ianto asked "I want those scouting vessels too, sorry, with your permission Captain."
The Captain agreed with a nod. Jack nodded to Ianto, then turned to the Captain who was already sending out the order for any and all Militarials to report for a headcount.
Just in case.
.
.
"Tee? What's happening?" Rhiannon asked softly, her nickname for her Tad as weird as Gee from her children for him and Ianto was used to it.
"Delta Prime is not answering hails, we are worried there was been a military coup and it's not safe. We are only looking for answers. We are safe here, I am not leaving the vessel, not leaving you. There will be some fly monkeys sent in away vessels to checkout the Space docks. If they come back with no worries, we are fine. If we hear otherwise, we will not dock to drop the cargo off." He assured her. "This was just to be an offload so… it will not affect our journey if we don't stop."
"You are nor fighting" she repeated forcefully "Tee?"
"Rhi….no." Ianto replied, their private joke now making them both smile.
"Jack, he is with you?"
"Yes, he is changing clothes too, god. To think they have extra uniforms onboard in case of this… I couldn't know which makes some me most uncomfortable. That they knew we were militarily and they could call us to duty… or that it is so natural for us to step up." He stopped doing up his buttons and turn to face her, his uniform shiny and new. Suddenly he was so young. So bloody handsome and so young. "Alice and Jack are having this exact same conversation right now. Maybe if you and the kids go to their birth, safety in numbers right?"
She nodded knowing he was right. As these old soldiers were falling into line, those left behind needed to close ranks as well.
Like falling off a bike, right?
And still hurts just as much.