Paladins Forever

by LadyWordsmith

After saving all of existence, the Paladins of Voltron moved on with their lives. Growing up, following their paths, while continuing to serve the galaxy. Time passes, relationships form, science advances, but the mission, as it turns out, is never really over. A series of consecutive post-series VLD stories, heavy on the Team Punk, new missions, and a very special rescue.

15. 15: Spatial Rift 10- United

Chapter 15: Spatial Rift Part 10 - United
The rebellion on Taklis is making headway, but it needs the Galactic Coalition. Pidge makes one last determined effort to get a message home, not only for herself, but for all of them. Success is the only outcome she is willing to accept. Will it be enough, or will it be too late?

---

June 3rd, 2335

Sunset shone through the entrance of the cave complex Katie had come to know as Rockslide—because that was the only reason the entrance to the caves here had been discovered. The warren of empty old mining tunnels and natural rock was honeycombed with small rooms, and easily held almost a hundred resistance members.

It had taken months of walking to reach it, and even more months to create any reasonable infrastructure but now, over a year after their arrival, it was starting to feel sort of homey. At least as much as one could feel at home in a cave.

The back entrances led out in two or three different spots, including one secluded and enclosed canyon with a freshwater spring, where it was safe for the children to play without being discovered.

That was where she was now, as she emerged. It was not long after dinner, and Kale, and the swarm of Thaal kids, and a couple of Chicid pups that had come in with another group, were all playing down by the spring on this pleasantly warm evening. Assta and Vishti, the Chicid mother, were watching the kids tonight.

The children were running around playing some kind of game that looked vaguely like soccer, with a small round ball they had gotten from somewhere. Kale, as always, was easy to spot. It helped that he was the only human, but even if not, his dark hair and skin and lean frame were impossible to miss. He also moved really well for a two-and-a-half-year-old. His features, even more than Caitlin's, were Hunk's in miniature. The expressive eyes, his round button of a nose. He was a very solid kid, but he was still lean, and he had never been a chubby kid, just a little larger than average in his natural build. At least so far. He was already a little over three-feet tall, which meant he would probably get close to or match Hunk's height someday. The only difference Katie could see between him, and his father's baby photos that she had seen, was that Hunk had been a classically chubby baby, and just as pudgy as a toddler. He had never been lean. Though his niece and nephew, and his sister, had all been leaner, and trimmer in build, too.

Normally, Katie would be here all evening as well, but tonight she had a mission. Her mission.

But first, she needed to say goodnight to her son. I will not be captured. I will not be killed. I will be back. I swear it.

Kale spotted her first, and grinned, waving.

Katie waved back as she walked down the hill towards them.

Kale met her at the edge of the grass and hugged her. "Mommy!"

"Hey, sweetie." Katie hugged him back, and kissed the top of his head. "Are you having fun?"

Kale nodded. "Yeah. Where you go?"

He recognized her mission gear. Of course, he did. He was a smart boy. "In to town, for supplies. I'll be back in a few hours. So, I want you to listen to Auntie Assta and go to bed when she says, okay?"

Kale nodded. "Yes, mommy."

"Good boy." Katie kissed him again. "I know you'll be on your best behavior. I'll see if I can find you a treat, okay?" If she could find treats for all of them, that would be better. It was amazing how happy the children were, with as little as they had. But then, this was all they had ever known. It was far better than their first year, when they had moved from hiding place to hiding place for months on end, dodging Yoan patrols, and trying to find a place that would be safe until they could make it here, to their objective.

Rockslide was practically in the shadow of Taklisi City itself.

Kale ran back to his game, and Katie nodded to the other mothers before heading back through the caves. They understood what she was doing tonight. As long as they succeeded, it should change all of their lives for the better.

She paused at the entrance to the cave room that served as the new briefing room. "Are we ready?"

Golron and Coran looked up from the computers. Golron nodded. "Everything is ready. Your team is waiting at the North entrance. The rest are already in the city and in position.

Katie pulled the thin shade-hood over her head as she stepped out into the early evening light. As the only human on the planet, she had a bad habit of standing out. Fortunately, none of the Yoan had ever seen her up close, so they didn't know who or what she was. However, she needed to keep it that way. Getting detained would be a disaster.

Not that she ever had on her previous excursions into the city itself. As long as she remained covered, she could pass for a very small, young Vasren. It was easier than trying to put on enough fake fur to be Chicid, and she had no hope of passing for a Thaal. For months now, she had been making careful trips into the city, as had many of the resistance members, to gather intelligence and supplies.

Tonight, all of that was about to come to fruition. Presuming this went well, they were breaking into the city's communication hub, hijacking the system, and sending a real high speed interstellar transmission towards the Galactic Coalition at last.

As promised, the few of her team who were waiting for her here were at the door. Ssisp, and two male Chicid. She had trained all of them in the use of her devices. If there was anyone who could handle this mission, it was her and her team, with Coran and Golron coordinating from the caves. Golron could not go into the city. He was a known resistance leader, and his image was everywhere.

Coran was as hard to hide as she was, even with his limited chameleon capabilities, and she'd rather have him on the headset anyway.

"All right. Let's go. We have an hour to be in position."

Together they made their way down through the forest that came nearly to the edge of the city. Thankfully, Taklisi City was not a walled city. While Katie considered that a major disadvantage for the occupying Yoan, it definitely worked to their own advantage as they could simply stroll into town and vanish among the population.

Which was what they did. Not that there weren't Yoan on every street within the city, but there was a wide population of non-enslaved local races as well. Those who had infrastructure jobs like electricians, plumbers, restauranters, custodians. All the blue-collar workers and those who kept the cities running, were still doing their jobs. Not that the Yoan paid them well for their services, but not everyone was formally enslaved.

So, there were plenty of locals in the market place, and on the streets, going about their daily lives. The city was large enough however, that not everyone knew everyone else except those who lived immediately near them, and they were unlikely to report people they didn't recognize to the Yoan police force, or military.

The shade-weight thin summer cloak she wore was a popular and common clothing item on the planet, so it wasn't at all out of place as she walked down the street, just one being among hundreds. The four of them were not walking in a group, but merely in the general vicinity of each other, and as they were supposed to blend in, they were not walking straight to their target. Katie stopped at several shops, with the money they had gleaned over the past year, and picked up small things here, and others there. A large bag of honey-crisped cricket-like bugs she knew the Thaal really enjoyed for the little ones, and sweet biscuits that were a snap-style cookie for the Chicid pups, and Kale, as she had promised. She carried them openly in a shopping bag because it made her look even more average. People about to break into government buildings did not shop for sweets for kids.

Or did they? In any case, Katie was grateful that she could easily get lost in a crowd, because it meant no one was likely to pick her out as suspicious, especially not when she had come to know the lay of the land, and how people did things in this city, quiet well.

Their goal was not the main government buildings where the Yoan had taken over, thankfully, but the city's primary communication's hub, which was a government-controlled facility, but not as heavily guarded. None of the people inside it were of much importance themselves, and no one should have reason to break into a building to send a message. There was nothing of inherent value inside to criminals or desperate vigilantes.

Unless you were Katie, with an entire Galactic Coalition at your disposal if you could just make a very-long-distance phone call. Having managed to get a hold of the specs for the building, and the equipment inside, Katie had spent months preparing and adjusting her own tech, and new tools, to make the interface as seamless and quick as possible. As long as everything went right, she would only need a couple of actual minutes in the master control room to hack in—if it was even encrypted—and send her encrypted message which she had already pre-recorded and it was ready to go. It would still probably take weeks to reach the Coalition, and maybe months to get to Earth, but even if it did that was a far better cry than waiting out the rest of their lives here. Not that she disliked any of the folk who had come to be friends, or the cultures in the system, but she was going to get home.

Five minutes to go time, Katie stepped into the shadows of the communications building, in a rarely used alley, tucked the sweets into one of her hidden belt pouches, and folded up and tucked away the empty reusable shopping bag. Nothing went to waste on this planet. It was something she could appreciate. "Green in place," she spoke softly, using her chosen code name. For simplicity, they had all gone with colors.

Her announcement was met by a quiet series of additional confirmations that Blue, Red, Purple, Black, White, and Pink. There had been no need to assign a Yellow. She just couldn't bring herself to give that call sign to anyone.

"Orange and Grey standing by," came Coran's voice, referring to himself and Golron.

Katie pulled up her hand-held scanner and tapped into the building's security cameras. Thank goodness someone on this technology forsaken planet had the poor sense to use something she could hack into and use from the outside. "Okay, I've got their cameras, connecting the feed to your system, Orange. Blue and Red, prepare to breach."

Only Blue and Red were actually joining her in this building. Across the city, in two other locations, Purple and Pink, and Black and White, were waiting to break into two other buildings on a related mission: breaking several major resistance leaders out of prison. Naturally they were not all being kept in the same buildings. It had taken them over a year of intelligence gathering to find out where they were being kept, get maps of the prisons, and learn the basic skills Katie could teach them to hack those systems for themselves, and lock all the doors open.

Though they had a critical edge. From the communications center, Katie could send out a virus of her own devising, that would shut down everything related to communications for the city and every small town that relied on them for a hundred miles.

At this time of the evening, the building was minimally staffed, which would make their job easier. Though it was not entirely empty. Everything related to telephone or radio signals went through this one department. All Katie had to do was jam everything.

"Phase one is on the move." Katie took a deep breath, stepped out of the shadows, and strolled up to the back loading dock of the building like she belonged there. She pulled on the back door, and almost laughed. It wasn't even unlocked. Without having to hack it, she strolled right in to an empty hallway. "Door open. Converge on my location."

A few moments later, her Chicid friends, dubbed Blue and Red, arrived wearing the standard uniform of those who worked in this building. Something else it had taken them time to acquire.

They padded quietly through the building, making as little noise as possible, and walking at a normal rate of speed. Running feet would get attention, even on the industrial carpeting on the floors that was similar to what Katie had seen on Earth, if a little plusher, and probably a natural fiber.

The office they needed was on the top floor, near the very center of the building, directly under the main signal towers. That meant they needed to make their way up five flights. While they had elevators, Katie chose an exterior stairwell, because they were less likely to run into anyone coming or going in the evening.

Katie resisted the urge to say this was going too easily. They paused every floor to check the camera feed compilation for locations of people. She had them marked as dots on a holographic map of the building. After two or three successful aversions, they made it to the top of the stairs.

According to her readings, there were eight people on the top floor, right inside the room she needed to get into. What the hell are they doing, having a convention? "Okay, we're going to have to use the bombs. Is everyone prepared?"

The other two pulled out the thin layered gas-masks, and a couple of small balls that, when triggered, would release a knock-out gas into the room. It wasn't lethal, but it should give them enough time.

Katie pulled out her own mask. "Okay, we should be able to come out of this hallway right there," she tapped a spot near the door. "They won't see us coming down that way. Then all we need to do is release the gas before they realize anything's wrong. Speed and silence will both be critical."

With a hand signal, she motioned for them to move out and the rest of the trip through the building was made with the softest of footfalls. Thankfully it was a well taken care of building, mostly full of offices, and the carpets and well-oiled doors made moving quietly almost unfairly simple.

Not that Katie needed a challenge. She'd had enough being shot at for a lifetime.

At the outside of the door, they held just long enough to hear the conversation inside the room.

There was only one Yoan officer, and the rest were just local civilians who worked in the building, doing their jobs. Katie was grateful she had a non-lethal option at the ready. She motioned them forward, then gave the signal to bust in the door.

Red and Blue hit the door simultaneously, and as it burst open, there was barely a shout before the gas hissed, and started billowing not only through the room but out of it.

Katie ducked inside and joined them as she heard bodies falling with solid thumps. "Check them," she ordered, crossing straight to the console she knew she needed. Immediately she whipped out the portable drive that contained everything she needed to hack into the system, and plugged it in using a pre-prepared conversion jack.

Immediately, even through the smoke, she could see what she needed on the screen. The system was unsophisticated, and easy to maneuver. Three broken passwords later and she had control of the communications array that specifically sent communications to the Yoan colonies on the other planets. She didn't need to talk to them, however. She punched in the coordinates and it began to swing around, slowly, but into the position that would allow her to shoot a message straight into the heart of the Galactic Coalition, towards Earth, and several other planets that were much, much closer. Wherever it arrived first, as long as they were allies, they would pass it on, she was certain.

Her programming was running pretty much on auto-pilot now, and the gas was thinning out through the open door. The eight bodies on the floor were still breathing, and Red and Blue had disarmed the Yoan, in case he woke up.

A confirmation lock on the coordinates of Earth. Three beeps… the message was successfully sent. Another slight change in the degree to match the second set of coordinates. A confirmation lock…three beeps. Message sent towards Altea. Then Daibazaal. Then Olkarion. Then several other planets at the very edge of Coalition space. Katie had even included the Vidorans, since they still had their scientists. It cycled faster and faster, but soon the city would realize there was something going on with the communications tower. Or worse, the Yoan off planet would the moment they couldn't communicate with Taklis.

"Last signal sent. Initializing the virus."

As much as Katie's professional pride hated not leaving her usual calling card, this virus had no taunts or signatures. It just began eating code and shutting everything down.

Katie yanked the drive from the port. "Phases Two and Three prepare to go on a thirty count. All right. Let's go." With that she darted into the hallway, with Red and Blue right on her heels. The gas would dissipate completely, and it was entirely without scent. There would be no sign.

Back down the empty staircases they pelted, and they had just reached the bottom floor when Katie heard sirens in the distance. "When we hit the city, follow our evasive plan and meet me back at the base when you're sure you're not being followed."

They nodded, and the three of them hurried out the back door onto the delivery dock and ducked into the shadows. The dinner hour was mostly over, but there were still people out on the streets. They each went a separate direction.

Katie followed the alley, emerging three blocks down and sliding easily into the moving late-evening traffic of people walking towards home. She dropped to their slower pace, fighting the urge to run. Her heart was dancing in her chest. We did it. Thank the ancients….we did it!

The communications system was now down, and likely would be for hours, or days. It was up to the other two teams to complete their prison breaks. As long as their used her programs, it should be doable. But that was not her mission.

It took over an hour to get to the edge of town without looking suspicious. She stopped in another shop for several minutes, purchased a couple of very inexpensive minor items that would not draw attention, and left again.

The easiest place to not-suspiciously leave the city was one set of old public gardens near the edge of town, though they were a good bit further south than where she had entered. Once she was there, however, seeing as they were mostly empty except for a few couples of various ages enjoying the evening, it was easy to duck out into the countryside, and backtrack.

The very quiet chatter in her ears was her only companion.

The first prison break was underway within minutes of their leaving the communications building. That was Pink and Purple's team. Hacking the prison's security system meant that they were able to unlock every door in the building, which meant the prison was in chaos. But in that chaos, it made it easier for the two of them to duck through and find the resistance leaders and get them out.

The second prison break occurred as Katie was leaving the gardens. Black and White were dealing with a different prison situation, as the two former resistance leaders they were pulling out had been in a much shorter period of time, and were in a higher security facility. The door systems had proven tougher to crack because they were intelligently not all on one system. Katie had given them the ability to shut down as many door locks as they could, as well as the power, and a good old fashioned encryption decoder, and skeleton keys.

That one there was some fighting getting out. Katie hoped they would be all right. With two prison breaks, it was a sure thing the Yoan would bet the communication tower problem might be related. Or, at the very least, a distraction.

They wouldn't find her messages, though they would eventually find the virus.

It was full dark by the time Katie reached the cave.

The guard on duty raised his weapon. "Passcode."

Katie held both hands up to show that they were empty and pushed off her hood. "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog."

They had started using passcodes of Katie and Coran's suggestions almost as soon as they had settled in, because they were all references to Altean and Earth history or popular culture, which meant that no one on this planet would ever guess them randomly.

The guard lowered his weapon and smiled, recognizing her. "Welcome back! The rest of your team arrived a few minutes ago."

"Great." Katie ducked inside, winding down the tunnel in darkness, until she came around the last corner, and came out into the grass-lamp lit central corridor. She went straight to Golron's briefing room. "It's done," she said as she strode in. "How are the prison breaks going?"

Coran looked up, clearly relieved to see her.

Golron nodded. "Pink and Purple have successfully retrieved their targets and are on route back through the city, though they've had to split up and are evading police. Black and White are… having more trouble."

That was concerning. Ssisp was Black. "What's going on? I got a bit out of range on the way out."

"They were able to get in, but they met with resistance," Coran explained. "They had to blow a couple of doors and that drew attention. They were able to get to the prisoners, but one of them was badly injured when she was taken, and they had to carry her out. There was a shoot-out, and we've lost communication."

Katie's stomach dropped, remembering when she had lost communication with Coran's team two-and-a-half years ago. "Does Assta know?"

"We haven't told her," Golron admitted. "We want confirmation before we worry her, possibly needlessly."

As much as she hated that idea, Katie also understood. "I think she at least needs to know there's a problem. If not, the delay will eventually make it clear something's wrong. Is Kale with her?"

Coran nodded. "She took him with her when she put her brood to bed. He ought to be asleep."

"Good. I have something for her. After that, if you don't hear anything, I'll go back into the city and see about pulling them out."

"No," Coran objected sharply.

Katie crossed her arms. "Excuse me?"

"Coran is correct," Golron stepped in. "You have completed your mission. Ssisp and Rothko will complete theirs if they can. It is the danger all of us knew when we joined the resistance. Now finish your report. How long do you think the signal will take to reach your Coalition, now that you have seen the technology for yourself?"

"To reach the very outskirts of Coalition space, two weeks, maybe three if it hits any space storms or time dilations or other anomalies." If only it were that soon. "If not, it will take at least five to reach Earth. We may be in the middle this grand plan of yours before they show up."

"We may not have an option." Golron sighed. "The other leaders agree that we need to make a definitive push soon. Too many cells have been driven from their hideouts, or re-captured. No one has heard from Icelake in months. It is likely they are dead. If we want to have any bargaining power against the Yoan, we need to retake a planet. If the Coalition does not arrive before we have to make a stand, then we will fight. After what we have done tonight, they will scour the area for a resistance cell, and they may find us. It is possible we will have to run again."

"Where is there left to go?" Katie argued. The last thing she wanted to do was send a message, and then be nowhere nearby when their ride home arrived. Presuming it did. But now seemed a terrible time to abandon what they were building here.

They were interrupted by static, and Ssisp's voice "Black and White to base… we are out. Treasure acquired. Will be lying low until morning and coming back when the heat's off."

Relief flooded through her.

"Orange here. Report confirmed," Coran spoke. "Well done. Is anyone injured?"

"Nothing life threatening."

Which might be the best they could hope for. "That information I can take to Assta." Katie ducked out before she got back into it with Golron. There were times, she thought, that he forgot that Katie and Coran's goal, and that of the Vidorans, was to get off this planet, not to save it. She didn't mind working with them to protect people, but even after three years, privately, she did not consider herself one of his officers. He treated her like one, almost more as an equal. They got along quite well. He respected her ideas and her technology.

Katie made her way quickly down to the family quarters part of the warren of caves. She and Kale had their own cave. Coran slept in his own private cave elsewhere. Next to Katie's was a larger one—the largest—that Assta and Ssisp and their offspring shared. The Chicid family was across the tunnel.

Assta looked up from a book she was reading as Katie appeared in the doorway. She smiled and nodded over to the corner where here children were piled up in heaps on a mattress, a messy noodle-like pile of long thin bodies flopped all over each other. Kale was nestled in among them, just as natural as could be, sleeping soundly. "How did it go?" Assta whispered.

"I got the messages out," Katie replied, smiling as she sat down across from her, glad to be off her feet. "Now, hopefully, we'll have help in the next couple of months. Which still feels like forever."

"If they get your message, I cannot believe your people would not come for you. Not after everything you've told me about them," her friend replied. "Your mate will come."

"Even if no one else would," Katie agreed. "He and our friends. But it's the Atlas, or maybe a whole fleet, that we need if you really want their help against the Yoan." The Atlas was also their fastest way out here. That and a few good wormhole jumps. Even the possibility of really seeing Hunk again made her feel warm inside. Three years apart was an eternity. She had to quash her feelings to keep from getting her hopes up too much. It might take longer. Or it might not work. A possibility she had to accept.

Assta smiled knowingly. "I hope you see him again soon."

Katie nodded. "Me too." She reached into her pouch and brought out the sack of crickets. "I promised Kale I'd bring treats for him, and all his friends if I could. These are for your brood… in the morning. I don't think you want them super excited in the middle of the night."

"Thank you! They'll love them." Assta stuck her nose in the bag, and snagged one for herself. "Mmm…. I love them. I haven't had these in ages!"

"Will it be any problem if I leave Kale here? I think if I move him, we might have a lot of cranky kids to deal with."

"Not at all. He's a very good sleeper." Assta chuckled. "Before you go, what about the rest of the mission?"

Ssisp. Katie shook her head. She had almost forgotten. It was a sign of how tired and distracted she was. "Both prison breaks were successful. Ssisp said they'll be back in the morning. They found a good place to hide away from the Yoan, but it's best to stay hidden for a few hours. No one was seriously hurt."

Some tension left Assta's posture. "Oh good. I was starting to worry. Golron doesn't like to tell me anything."

July 8th, 2335

It had been so long since Hunk received a work-related call in the middle of the night that he spent nearly thirty seconds of his dream wondering why the cream cake he was baking was beeping frantically.

He awoke with a snort, and grabbed his communicator. "Hello?"

"Lieutenant Commander Garrett?"

"This's he."

"This is Lieutenant Prius at the Garrison. We have an incoming high priority transmission coming in from deep space."

And they were calling him about it? "And?"

"Admiral Holt told me to call you. The identification says it's from Katie Holt-Garrett."

For several seconds Hunk thought this must be some kind of cruel prank. Then her words sank in and he fell off the bed head first as he scrambled for clothes. "I'm on my way!"

His fall was loud enough that the neighbors who lived downstairs shouted something unintelligible at their ceiling. Hunk didn't care, he simply floundered to his closet grabbed the first clothes his hands closed on, and dragged on pants over his shorts, and jammed the shirt on over his head, realizing too late it was an older shirt, and a couple of sizes too small. No time to worry about it now. He grabbed his jacket, stuffed his feet in shoes without socks, and staggered out into the hallway, heading for Caitlin's room.

His daughter was out cold. She didn't even budge as he hefted her up to his shoulder in her pajamas. It was a good thing it was a warm night. He grabbed his keys and communicator, and headed out the door.

As he made it to the ground level, a car pulled up out of the darkness. He recognized it as Matt's. He—and a very tired looking Veronica—were in the front seat.

"Dad thought you might need a ride," Matt said, looking far more alert than Hunk felt.

"Thank you." Hunk would have hiked to the Garrison if he had to. It occurred to him as he got Caitlin into a seat-belt that there was only one public transport that ran to the Garrison twenty-four hours a day for the late shifts, and it wasn't due for another hour.

The drive to the Garrison seemed to take forever.

"Do you think it's really a message from Pidge?" Veronica asked Matt as they drove.

"Dad must think so if he's got us all coming in," Matt replied, sounding hopeful. "It's just incredible!"

Hunk wanted to agree. He wanted to feel hope, but he wasn't sure he dared. Three years of absolutely nothing and now… now finally they might have a message. An answer. But it was coming from deep space. The message could be months, even years old. Katie might have sent it, and then died.

Caitlin lolled against him and he moved a little closer so she was sitting up properly in the safety restraints, even in sleep.

When they arrived, security let them through, and Matt parked at the closest door to the communications center. They all ran through the door. It was only when they got out of the car that Hunk noticed that Matt and Veronica were also still in pajamas. Though, being sensible, they were both in pant-and-shirt sets, and real shoes.

Sam and Colleen were waiting for them when they arrived. They were dressed, but only slightly more put together than Hunk felt. Colleen looked anxious and eager.

Lieutenant Prius turned out to be a young communications officer. She was focused on the large screen in front of them all when they arrived.

"You have a message from Pidge?" Hunk blurted out, his heart pounding in his chest. Please be true. Please don't be a lie. Please don't be dead.

"That's what the identification says," Prius nodded, gesturing at the screen. "The codes are definitely Garrison standard, and the encryption was apparently a family standard?" She looked at Sam Holt, who was nodding. "The title was the only part not encrypted, and that said Urgent Communication, Katie Holt-Garrett, and her Garrison ID number. It was forwarded on to us from two outposts, so it looks like she aimed it towards several targets. I anticipate we may get it again here in the next few days. Anyway, Admiral Holt just put in a decryption sequence, and we should have the whole message any minute."

As she finished talking, the computer chimed, and words scrawled across the screen in perfectly clear English.

Hunk pushed forward with the rest of them, trying not to crush anyone, but desperate for news.

"Back up everyone," Colleen barked, and everyone moved. "I'll read it."

Immediately they all stopped shoving. No one was willing to argue with her. Not even Sam.

Colleen looked up at the screen. "Message to the Galactic Coalition and Galaxy Garrison, from Lieutenant Commander Katie Holt-Garrett. Coran and I, and most of the missing scientists, are alive. The transporter brought us to a world the locals call Taklis, but is on Coalition galactic maps as the third planet of the Kryptar 739 system. Coordinates included. Technology is limited, with no ships capable of leaving the system. Be warned, the system is controlled by a race called the Yoan, who have Galra level aspirations, but none of the advantages. We have been taken in by the Resistance Movement, and they have kept us alive. We've freed many enslaved races, but the fighting continues. They should be no threat to the ships of the Galactic Coalition, especially not the Atlas. The resistance has helped us to send this message, and hopes to petition to join the Coalition to help resolve their generations' long conflict with the invading Yoan. Hope to see you soon. Worst vacation ever."

Each word brought Hunk closer to tears. With Colleen reading, the words even took on Katie's inflections, and a light of hope that had gone out in his soul stirred. The last brought a small bark out of him. Matt and Sam also chuckled.

But… "Is that it?" Hunk asked.

Colleen nodded. "That's it, but it's enough for us to go get her." She turned to Prius. "Have this message forwarded to the captain on the Atlas at once. Tell him to expect us in his office in an hour."

"You're giving him a whole hour?" Sam commented. "How generous."

"I'm not completely heartless." Colleen smiled ferociously. "It's a good thing the Atlas is on Earth. If Navor won't take us, you can pull rank and put someone else in charge for the length of this mission. We can have Katie back in a matter of days."

Hunk agreed with everything his mother-in-law was saying, but there was a question he was dying to know the answer to, and no one else seemed to have thought to ask. Katie had mentioned herself, and Coran…. But what about the baby?

---

An hour later, they were all crowded in Navor's small office. The captain, at least, was fully dressed and in uniform, having been summoned by the commanding Admiral in the middle of the night.

"Of course, the Atlas will take the mission," Navor assured them without a moment's hesitation. "This is precisely what you built her for, Admiral. But the refueling and maintenance won't be done for another two days, even if we rush." He looked at the assembled crowd of people, including Hunk, who still had a sleeping Caitlin on his shoulder. Then he focused on Sam and Colleen. "I presume you intend to be on board, Admiral?"

"You presume correctly," Sam nodded.

"Science Officer Holt? Commander McClain-Holt?" Both Matt and Veronica nodded.

"Very well then. I will make certain you have quarters on board."

He didn't even look at Hunk.

Hunk frowned. "What about us?" he asked.

Navor looked up from his notes. "What about you, Lieutenant Commander? According to your current record you are on report and therefore unable to request a transfer to the Atlas."

"I'm not requesting anything," Hunk replied with a growl. "I'm telling you I'm coming with you to get my wife back. And if you think your stuffed-shirt high-ranking attitude of—"

"Hunk." Sam Holt didn't shout. He didn't even bark it. He simply spoke his name.

It was enough. Hunk couldn't punch Navor even if he wanted to. He was still carrying Caitlin, who stirred at the loud noises, and blinked her eyes. finally coming fully awake. "Where are we, daddy?"

"At the Garrison, sweetheart. Daddy had a late-night meeting."

"Oh, okay." She yawned, taking it all in stride.

Navor was glowering. Sam did not look pleased, but he was looking at Navor. "I am overriding that reprimand for the purposes of this mission. In either case, it isn't a transfer of service. It's a temporary assignment. I don't care if you list them as passengers, Hunk and Caitlin are coming with us. That's an order, Captain."

"Yes, Admiral." Navor did not look pleased, but he was also smart enough not to argue with his ultimate superior. "We will be ready to depart on the afternoon of the tenth. Everything will be ready for you."

"Excellent. We will leave you to it then," Sam nodded.

They all filed out, leaving Navor the task of figuring out how to have the Atlas ready and resupplied and off to go. Half her crew were currently on leave.

Matt and Veronica drove him and Caitlin back to the apartment. Veronica helped by picking up Caitlin and carrying her inside, returning the sleepy girl to her bed.

Standing in the living room, Hunk noticed Matt giving him a side-eye look. "What?" he asked. He couldn't imagine Matt would have a problem with Hunk getting riled up at Navor.

Matt looked curious more than annoyed. "I didn't know you were on report."

"Oh… that." Hunk's face felt warm and he was grateful the lights in the room were dim. "I didn't pass a physical. Didn't make weight." Not like that was any big shocker.

"Have you ever?" Matt asked, looking like he already knew the answer.

"Not in my entire time at the Garrison," Hunk confirmed. "It's a stupid regulation. I could starve and not meet it."

"Then why did they only put you on report now?"

Hunk managed not to smirk, if just barely. "This time I broke their dinky little scale."

July 9th, 2335

Katie knew they had hit a truly desperate point when fleeing for their lives meant using actual vehicles and roads. Not that they were literally fleeing, per say, but the vehicles Golron had been able to requisition from another resistance group had made a huge difference in their ability to evacuate Rockslide quickly and efficiently. That had been weeks ago, and since then they had been on the run, but heading to a destination more than from. They had travelled farther in the past weeks than they had in all the months it had taken them to hike to Taklisi City.

South, much further south even than the mines they had originally come out of, and further West. Several resistance cells were converging there, to take out one of the Yoan's military industrial complexes. It was so far removed from anything else, no one would expect it. But it would take four cells working together to accomplish it.

Katie had objected heavily to this plan, but her options were to go with Golron and his men, or go it alone on a planet that was, despite what it felt like, truly hostile. Both she and Coran—and the Vidorans—had agreed it was better to stick with the Resistance. They hadn't heard anything from Earth, but that didn't mean they might not. The longer they stayed alive, the better the chances of rescue were.

So, they had moved from hiding place to hiding place, but much faster than before. They alternated drivers and stopped only occasionally. Katie had built child restraint seats to keep Kale and the other children safe in the fast-moving vehicles.

And then, they had arrived near the complex, which was beside a huge freshwater lake that was too wide in places to see across. Katie was sure it was visible from space.

What she had not been prepared for on arrival, was what looked like two actual armies, squaring off against each other.

Riding in the same vehicle with Golron and Coran, she heard the resistance leader curse. "This is no surprise attack."

It most definitely was not. "Well, it was always possible they were going to find out, with us trying to converge this many people in the area at once," Katie pointed out. Anyone could have talked, especially under duress. Still, this was not a place she wanted to be with her son. "Where is the base?"

"In the hills, just in front of us." The area was north of the fields. Katie saw hills along the edge of a forest, and people coming in and out of tunnels, and realized that they were looking at another underground base.

"What's keeping the Yoan from just destroying such an obvious position?" Katie asked incredulously.

As if reading her thoughts, a Yoan projectile launched through the air, aiming for the collection of artillery the resistance had managed to gather together. Fifty yards out it smashed into something…and shattered.

"How the hell do you have a shield?!" Katie hadn't seen anything even that advanced on this planet in three years.

"We don't," Golron admitted. "It pre-dates our people, but it was discovered here years ago, functioning, buried beneath the soil. We will have to advance beyond this shield to attack, but at least while it holds, we are safe within it.

"How do you cross it?" And why the hell had he never mentioned it before?

"They will let us in." Golron said as he kept driving towards the shield.

He was right. As they approached there was a shimmering in the shield, and the cars passed through unharmed, one after the other.

Inside did not feel any different, but the shield itself was more visible. The entire sky took on a slightly luminescent, rainbow effect, not unlike sitting inside a soap bubble. That's one powerful soap bubble.

Golron kept driving, and soon they reached the entrance to the base known as The Hole. At last, Katie could see why, as a wide opening appeared in the ground before them, with a long sloping entrance. Golron drove straight down into it, with the rest of the caravan behind.

They descended into the ground, and came out in a giant cavern that was nearly the size of the Atlas' hanger. It even had electricity.

There was a delegation waiting for them on arrival. Two of whom Katie recognized as two of the leaders they had only recently rescued from prison.

They came forward to greet Golron as they all got out of the car.

"Golron, old friend," another Vasren approached grinning. "How are you still alive?"

"Very funny, Rallen," Golron replied, though he embraced the other male with a forceful hug. "The answer to that is our fortunate allies." He motioned towards Katie, who had just unbuckled Kale from his seat, and Coran.

"The offworlders," Rallen nodded. "So you wrote. This must be the technical genius?" He looked straight at Katie.

"That would be me," Katie acknowledged, setting Kale on the ground and keeping one hand on him as she approached. "Katie Holt. And you are… Rallen. I've never heard of you."

Rallen barked a laugh. "I am Golron's cousin, and currently the resistance leader of The Hole. Though with five of us here, that doesn't feel much like a position of authority." He dropped the playful tone and looked back at Golron. "The others are ready for our strategy meeting. The Yoan are very near to breaking a hole in the barrier, and we need to be prepared to fight them. See your people settled in the West tunnels, and then join me in the main hall."

Golron nodded, and the welcoming party, such as it had been, followed Rallen out. He turned to the others, who were all gathering up around them. "We have been given space in the West tunnels. I will guide you there, and then attend to business."

"I don't like the sound of how close that barrier is to coming down," Katie said. "Do you think they'd let me take a look at the technology? Is it even accessible? I might be able to reinforce it. Coran and I have a done a lot of work with shields over the years."

"I will ask," Golron promised.

Despite being underground, The Hole was anything but just a hole, and a far cry nicer than anyplace they had been since leaving Leaftown. In some ways, it even had Leaftown beat: like the underground hot springs available for bathing. The kitchens were much larger, with propre stoves, and a covered dining cavern. Everything was strung with electrical lighting that, like Leaftown, ran off solar power. An underground cold-water stream provided plenty of fresh water.

There was furniture in every room.

Katie was given a room all to herself and Kale that was nearly three times the size of the cave they had spent the last year sharing, and that made it twice the size of the room she had shared with Coran in Leaftown. There were two beds, though Kale preferred to snuggle up with her a lot of the time. There was a chair, and a proper desk sized table, and even a wooden carved storage box big enough for most of their things. Given how little they had come with, it would probably hold everything they owned.

"What do you think, kiddo?" Katie asked Kale as he wandered over to the lower bed, and experimentally bounced on it.

He grinned. "It's good."

"I'm glad you approve."

"Katie, is that you?"

"I'm in here, Assta." Katie called. As she turned around her friend appeared in the doorway, eyeing Katie's room.

"This is nice," Assta nodded. "You wouldn't believe the space we have. It's got two rooms carved out! There's enough space and beds to sleep the children only five or six to a nest."

"And you and Ssisp can have a little private time?" Katie grinned, raising one eyebrow.

Assta gave a short, hissing laugh. "I think that is his thought as well. It is very fortunate that it is too soon to be worried about more eggs."

"Ah, there you are," Coran appeared in the doorway as well, following Assta inside. "I'm four doors down on the left. Nice little space, considering. Though from the looks of what's up top, I don't know how long we'll get to stay."

"I don't like it either," Katie admitted. "That's not a stealth mission. It's a field battle. When it starts…there's going to be a lot of casualties." She had no intention of being anywhere in it, either.

July 12th, 2335

Even with a prompt departure and several lengthy teludav jumps, the system to which they were headed was so far out that it was a two-day journey.

Hunk had thought the first days after losing Katie had felt like an eternity. These were not better. Now that he knew that, at least as of about a month-and-a-half ago, she had been alive and well, his patience was shot.

He, Caitlin, and Juni, had been given his old quarters. The Atlas had left dock so quickly that they were only at three-quarters capacity, but for this quick mission, they really didn't need the full ship's crew.

Without official duties to perform, Hunk was left to keep himself occupied, which was never wise. He avoided the kitchens. As hyped up as he was, he was half afraid he'd end up eating his own weight again in baked goods.

Instead, he gave Caitlin a long, detailed tour of the ship that she had been born on, but hardly remembered from their fateful trip three years ago. He answered all of her questions about Katie, though she seemed to know an awful lot about her.

"Grandma and Grandpa Holt talk about her all the time. So does Uncle Matt…and Uncle Lance… Uncle Shiro has lots of stories too," Caitlin informed him when asked.

Of course, they all had.

Knowing everyone on board did not make Hunk feel better about their odds. He knew that, whatever the situation was, the Atlas could handle it, but after so many years off her, he didn't feel like part of it anymore. It made him feel like a bit of an outsider, even though he'd been working at the Garrison the whole time.

When Caitlin was spending time with Colleen and Sam, he wandered about alone, trying to get his head wrapped around what was going on and out of the fog he now felt like he'd been living in. It was hard to shake. Mission mode felt foreign to his brain, and his body.

All he could think about was Katie. She had to still be alive. He would not accept any other outcome at this moment. Believing that they had found her, only to have her die in the interim, would kill him. He had just come to accept that she was gone, and now this.

It was like opening a floodgate on every emotion he had felt since he saw her fall through that stupid gate, that the Vidorans, all these years later, had never been able to solve. One day, it had simply cracked up the middle. They never knew why, but when someone was brave enough to touch it, it had stopped working.

Maybe Katie had an answer.

Maybe Katie was alive.

Maybe Katie was coming home.

Her face floated in front of him. What had she been doing? What was this Taklis planet like? How had she finally managed to send a message?

Where was their second child?

A million questions, and concerns… and fears. After three years apart, what if Katie had found someone else on this planet? How might she have changed? He couldn't say he was the same person he had been three years ago.

He knew, when he actually had her in his arms again, the fears would go away. For now, all he could do was fight the conflict inside that told him that hoping was just going to disappoint him again.

The entire family was on the bridge with Navor when they came out of their last jump right outside the system. The decision had been made to arrive outside of the limited sensor range of the Yoan if possible, to assess the situation before proceeding. They didn't want to get into a firefight unnecessarily.

Hunk's insides were doing enough of a tango he was starting to regret breakfast, as he watched the bridge crew scan the planets. He noticed that the area had been updated to include the names of the planets and data Katie had provided along with her message.

"The Yoan occupy these planets," Veronica said, having claimed her station. The dots appeared on the map. "They appear to have only eight craft in space at the moment. Nothing bigger than one of our larger transport pods. Those look to be supply transport and unarmed."

"So, they aren't used to expecting any conflict in space itself," Sam commented. "Interesting observation for a species that has taken over a system. They may have more combat worthy craft that are currently in the atmosphere or on the surface."

"It's possible," Veronica agreed. "If they've been here for generations, maybe they didn't feel it necessary." She switched the view on the screen to narrow in on the third planet. "This is Taklis. The city Pidge's message was sent from is here, centrally located on the large northern continent." A dot appeared on the map.

"We should do a wide range search of the entire planet for Garrison tech," Matt suggested. "If we send a message aimed at our own frequencies, it won't matter where Pidge and Coran are. As long as they still have anything tuned to our signals, we'll reach them."

"And you are certain they will still have working Garrison technology after all this time?" Navor looked at Matt curiously.

Matt laughed. "Are you kidding? Do you think Katie would ever let her work break?"

"A valid point. Very well. Let us send out a signal." Navor cleared his voice and nodded to the communications officer. "This is Commander Navor of the IGF Atlas, calling Coran Smythe, or Katie Holt-Garrett. Can you hear me?"

They waited for several seconds, but received no immediate response. Navor repeated the message a second time. Then a third.

On the fourth, they got a response. A crackle of static and then "….olt-Garrett speaking. I copy Atlas. You sure took your sweet time!"

Hunk's heart exploded.

"Your message took some time to get to us," Navor continued, as if it were just any other mission. "What is your situation? Are you accessible for a rescue?"

"Your timing couldn't be…. Actually," Katie's voice came through. "We're pinned down…. Northern continent… shore of the giant lake…. West side. Facing about three-hundred ground troops with projectile explosives. Looks like something out of Earth's second world war. Primitive, but effective. Need back-up. Resistance has been warned not to fire on you."

Hunk couldn't hold it in anymore. "Pidge! Hang on. We're coming!"

A moment's silence except for static… then a soft but happy, "I knew you would."

"All right. All of you off my bridge." Navor turned to the collection of concerned family members. "Back to posts so we can get down there and complete this mission."

Hunk didn't want to leave, but he didn't argue. As he left the bridge, Caitlin squeezed his hand. "It's okay, Daddy. That was Mommy! I heard her!"

Hunk smiled. "That's right. The captain is sending people down there to get her right now." It was all he could do to resist hijacking an MFE and taking the fight to the enemy himself, but that was a foolish idea. The MFE pilots would have no problem cleaning up the low-tech primitives on this planet. "What do you want to do while we wait?"

"Can we go to the kitchens?" Caitlin asked. "Auntie Romelle promised me a cooking lesson."

"Oh really? What is she going to teach you?"

"How to make juniberry flower lavender cheesecake." Caitlin looked excited. "Does Mommy like cheesecake?"

"Yes, she does," Hunk answered. "Sure, that sounds good."

When they arrived in the kitchens, it was between meal shifts, so they were empty except for Romelle, who was doing the pre-lunch prep and inventory.

Hunk was surprised, but only for a moment. He remembered that Shay wasn't on board. She had been off-world visiting her family on the Balmera during the Atlas' refit. Romelle was in charge of the kitchens for this little mission. "Everything looks in order," he commented as he and Caitlin walked in.

Romelle turned around, and then smiled brightly when she saw them. "I was wondering if we would even see you down here."

"I've been a bit distracted."

"I understand." Romelle nodded. "Are you here for a specific purpose then?"

"Can I please have my cheesecake lesson?" Caitlin asked.

"Ah! Of course. Well, I've just finished inventory and we have time. So, why not?" Romelle chuckled. "Are you staying, too?" she looked at Hunk.

"Sure." Hunk could see the hopeful look in his daughter's eyes. "That sounds great."

---

Katie had sworn she wasn't going to get involved in this battle, but here she was, scrambling around underground, making modifications to ancient technology she only sort of understood. Outside above ground, battle raged. The Yoan had not waited for the resistance to attack first. Explosions in mid-air were still strong enough to rock the earth beneath, but the shield was holding, mostly due to Katie's work. She pushed a strand of damp hair out of her eyes, and tucked it back into her ponytail.

Only now, she felt a sense of hope that they might get out of this one alive. The Atlas was above their heads, and the MFEs were inbound.

Hunk was on the Atlas. She wanted to laugh, and cry, and throw herself in Hunk's arms and never let go.

But first, they had a fight to win.

"All right!" she shouted as she used a wrench to tighten one last bolt. "That's the last of the modifications." She jumped down to the ground.

Coran and Ssisp were waiting. Golron, like the other leaders, was up above, managing the battle itself. "So, what now?" Ssisp asked.

"We now have full control over the shield. We can bring it down, put it back up, set up a modulating frequency. We can even expand it or shrink it." Katie grinned. "There's a lot we can do with it as long as we're careful not to hurt our own people."

All the fighting had to happen outside the barrier, because it wasn't possible to make the shield recognize friend from foe, but that didn't mean they couldn't find a way to use it. That was the task Katie had taken upon herself.

"What I need to do now, is talk to Golron, because I have a plan. Where is he?"

"In the command center," Ssisp replied.

"Coran, come with me." Katie turned and stroke quickly through the twisting tunnels.

"What's your plan?" Coran asked as he matched strides with her.

"You'll see. But I have a way to use the shield to give us, and the MFEs, an advantage. Now that we have the Atlas, this fight is about to wrap up real quick.

They reached the room quickly. Golron, and two of the leaders who were not in the thick of battle directly, were coordinating.

Golron looked up. "Report."

"The shield is ready. I can expand it, retract it, change the modulations, and even move it within a certain distance. We can drop it, too." Katie took a breath. "The Atlas just contacted me. They're here in space, and inbound."

"What?" Golron's expression widened. "Your allies? They've come?"

"They're sending fighters in and they should arrive in the next thirty-minutes."

"This changes things."
"Yes, and I have a plan, but obviously I need us all on board with it for it to work." Katie looked around the room. "The MFEs and their pilots can take out every piece of artillery the Yoan have in a matter of minutes. But they don't know the situation here, and in the heat of battle, it's hard to tell friend from foe. We're unfamiliar. So, what we need to do, is get all of the resistance people away from the Yoan before they hit."

"How would you propose we do that?" A Chicid leader—Katie thought her name was Villia—asked sharply.

"Simple. We drop the barrier."

Now everyone was staring at her like she was mad.

"Are you crazy?" Villia asked what they were probably all thinking.

Katie shrugged. "It's a matter of timing. As soon as we get the signal the MFEs are incoming, we drop the barrier and order an immediate retreat to within fifty yards of the entrance. It will look like we're falling back for a final defensive line, and the shield is down. The Yoan will need at least a couple of minutes to change tactics and order a follow, which will give me just enough space between them for them to get in close, and then we raise the shield up between the two forces, blocking them out, and us back in. I can modulate the shields to be impenetrable to MFE fire, so there won't be any loss to friendly fire."

"And your allies sweep through and destroy them for us?" Villia still looked skeptical.

"That's the plan."

"Can we trust them, Golron?"

Golron looked offended. "Katie and Coran have been our most helpful and trustworthy allies for over three years. Their knowledge and abilities have kept more of us alive than anything else, and rescued more people than my cell managed in the ten years before. It was Katie who put the mine at Leaftown out of business permanently. They still have not reopened it. They did not have to help us, but they have. Now their Coalition has answered our request for aid. I will put my trust in them before anything else. I think it's our best strategy. We may win on our own, but there will be thousands more casualties before this ends if we do it without them."

The others shared meaningful looks, then Villia sighed. "Make this happen, but if it fails, it is on your heads."

"It won't be the first time," Katie replied. "Let's go Coran."

---

Nadia Rizavi looked through the viewport in front of her as she led the rest of her squadron down towards the planet in formation. In the years since they had become the first MFE pilots she, and all of her original squadron mates, had been promoted, and had their own four-pilot teams they were in charge of. Today, all four teams were descending into the atmosphere of the most back-of-the-universe planet she had ever seen. I really can't believe they need us to beat these guys. Seriously? They're primitive.

They had aircraft, she could see them on her HUD, but they were barely better than old Earth fighter planes from centuries ago. The tanks on the ground looked just as simple.

"This is ground to MFE pilots. Do you read?"

Nadia blinked. "Pidge?"

She wasn't the only startled voice on the line.

"The one and only. Look, I've got a plan. I need all of you in on it. In five minutes, I'm dropping the barrier shield protecting our location. All of our people are going to make a strategic retreat that looks like a panicked rout. When they get within fifty yards of the entrance, I'm throwing the barrier back up, smaller, between them and the enemy. Anything left outside is fair game, and the shield is modulated to block your shots. All you have to do is take out anything that offers you any resistance. Do you think you can take out the aircraft before I drop the shield?"

"Five minutes?" James Griffin piped up. "No problem."

"Seriously," Nadia chuckled. "We've got your back."

"Awesome. I have seriously missed you guys."

"Awww… we missed you too."

"We should be focusing on the mission," Ina Leifsdottir commented in her usual dry manner.

Nadia rolled her eyes. "All right. What's our best strategy?"

"We split the field into quadrants, and each take one by number. When the aircraft are down, we go for tanks and any other visible ordinance. Then, if they haven't surrendered, aim for any other vehicles or people who look important."

"Sounds good to me. Let's do this!"

---

Her strategy could not have worked better if she'd actually had a chance to plan it out in advance. Sixteen Garrison MFEs dropped into Yoan air space like metal falcons stooping on pigeons. The Yoan planes never had a chance. By the time a few of them managed to pull evasive maneuvers, the rest were plummeting to the ground below.

At the five-minute mark, Katie dropped the shield as planned. The resistance fighters—whose combat leaders had all been warned—broke and ran like terrified rabbits, streaming towards the entrance to The Hole like their lives depended on it.

As she had anticipated, it took the Yoan nearly a minute to realize what was happening and adjust their plans for a forward push. The loss of their air support had frazzled them. Then their men ran forward.

"One-hundred yards," Coran read out the closing distances as she focused on the controls in front of her. The only downside to being buried in the ground with the controls was she couldn't see what was happening on the surface. "Seventy-five…. Sixty…. And Fifty!"

Katie flipped the manual switch on the board she'd had cobbled together.

Around her, the humming machinery took on a new pitch. In her headset she heard Golron. "It's up!"

Katie dropped back down to where Coran sat with her computer so she could see the visuals the drone was providing from up top.

The Yoan line had slammed right into the shield. Only a handful of their soldiers were inside. Hardly a concern. They would either surrender, or be dealt with.

"Ground to MFEs," Katie changed the frequency on her communications system. "Shield is up! They're all yours."

This time her only response was the clicks of confirmation that showed all four leads understood. They were focused on the mission now.

Katie watched as vehicle after vehicle exploded beyond. The large artillery first, then supply trucks, then officer cars. It was a rain of death at speeds the Yoan could never have anticipated. She would have paid good money to know what the Yoan officers were shouting back and forth to their commanding officers, or what they were getting from space. The Yoan in the rest of the system couldn't possibly be unaware of this, could they? They had to have their own private communications that would let them talk to their people on the other planets, and while in space.

Then came the internal chatter.

"They're surrendering! Their General is standing at the shield with a blue flag."

Which, for the Yoan, was the equivalent of the Earth white flag, Katie had learned.

"Ground to MFEs. Hold your fire. It looks like we have surrender. Stand by."

"Understood," Griffin replied.

Katie waited, steering the drone forward so she could get a better view of what was happening. Golron and the other Resistance Leaders were moving forward—not all of them, that was inviting a trap—but several. They came to stand nearly nose-to-nose with the Yoan general, with only the barrier between them. It did nothing to block sound.

It was Golron who spoke first. "I see you've met our new allies. If you are here to surrender, there need be no more bloodshed today. If you and your officers agree to come into our custody, we will even allow the rest of your force to retreat unmolested. You will be treated fairly. Unlike you, we do not believe in torturing prisoners. After we have all had a chance to speak with our allies in the Galactic Coalition, you may even be released."

The General looked considering, but skeptical. "Why should I take you at your word?"

"Because I have never broken it, nor have I ever lied. You want resistance to stop? Come to the negotiation table. We are as tired of fighting as you. All we ask is a fair deal."

"I cannot promise negotiations without speaking to my superiors," the General replied. "However, it is clear we cannot win this fight, so I do surrender myself, and my officers. Pray that you do keep your word."

"We intend to. Open the shield."

Katie jumped up and grabbed the controls, entering commands to open just that small portion of the shield. As soon as the General and his officers stepped through, she closed it again. "Ground to MFE pilots. We have surrender. Great work!"

"Easy peasy," Nadia chuckled. "Our orders are to return to the Atlas, but expect an escorted transport pod to land within the hour."

"See you then."

Katie sat back, stunned. It had all wrapped up so quickly. She looked at Coran as it sunk in. "We're going home."

---

By the time that hour was up, Katie had already packed everything of personal importance that she and Kale would need to take with them. Not that it amounted to much, since she didn't even need all the clothes. She had an entire wardrobe on Earth. Some of it might even be on the Atlas. Other than her tech—including her newest inventions—what she was wearing, and Kale's personal effects, she had collected very little. Being constantly on the move and carrying her own stuff had not lent itself to her old pack-rat tendencies.

Kale stood beside her, dressed and hugging his one stuffed toy—a version of a small furry mammal called a Loat, that looked similar to an earth Rabbit, but with shorter ears and no tail to speak of, though it was furry and hopped. One hand clung to her pant leg. She had explained to him that Daddy had come to get them with their friends, but she wasn't sure how aware the toddler was that this was a permanent move. She had shown Kale photos of her family, and Hunk, and Caitlin, and Hunk's family since he was tiny. She and Coran had told him stories, but he was still very young. This world was the only home he had ever known.

Goodbye hugs had been given in the caves, though their friends had come to see them off. The Vidorans stood around them, also more than ready to go home. Priin, Dyn, and Lowax were to her left.

Katie had requested, and gotten approval, to have a Coalition communications system given to the Resistance for ongoing communication between Taklis and the rest of the Coalition. The Atlas would be making several short stops on the way back to drop communication buoys of sorts in space, to connect them. It would add a few days to the trip, but it would be worth it.

The transport landed, though its MFE escort stayed in the air.

The ramp lowered, and the pilot stepped down to join them. Katie recognized him only as a former cadet. "Lieutenant Commander," he nodded respectfully to Katie, then to Coran and the others. "I'm here to take you back to the Atlas."

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Katie replied. "We're incredibly grateful. Did you bring the communications equipment?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Good." She turned to Coran. "Watch Kale for me. This will just take a minute." She waved Ssisp and Balfi forward, and stepped up into the pod. It felt strange walking into current and familiar tech after so long in the wilds, but it still felt like home. Even the smell that washed over her was familiar in her memory, and oddly comforting.

The entire system was a simple and efficient console, plus two boxes of the supplies to set up their own towers. Katie had briefed them on its use and left instructions. "This is it." Her friends had brought a handful of others to help carry it all.

It only took a couple of minutes to clear it out. Then Coran, Kale, and the Vidorans were piling on board, and everyone's packs were stored.

Katie and Coran were invited to use the extra seats in the four-seat cockpit. Katie strapped Kale in first, before sitting.

Once they were in the air and climbing, their pilot smiled. "You caused quite a stir with that message, Ma'am. You've got quite a crowd waiting for you."

"A crowd? Who else is here?"

"Admiral Holt and his wife, Lieutenant Commander Garrett of course, and your daughter. The Lieutenant Commanders Holt."

"Plural?"

"Your brother and his wife."

Wait what? "Matt's married?!" It seemed she had missed out on quite a bit of her family's lives, not just Hunk and Caitlin's. It wasn't that she hadn't thought of them often, she just hadn't spent much time wondering about her older brother's love life. After all, when she'd left, he had been staunchly single after the break-up with N-7.

Coran chuckled. "It looks like we'll all have plenty of catching up to do."

---

Every second felt like forever and longer, Hunk thought as he watched the transport land in the docking bay of the Atlas. Caitlin stood beside him, hugging his leg, and looking both curious and a little nervous. Not that Hunk could blame her.

Then the hatch opened, and the first person down the ramp was both familiar, and forever changed.

"Hunk!"

He barely had time to catch her in his arms, and there was Katie, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as he lifted her off the ground, and her lips were pressed against his in a fierce and passionate public display she never would have considered before.

Hunk didn't care who was watching as he returned it with a tight embrace, clinging to her as tears of relief and joy sprung unbidden, pouring down his cheeks. "Pidge…. Oh gods…" when their lips parted, he set her down, but didn't let go. His eyes drank in the sight of her. He could feel beneath the alien clothes a frame so lean from years of hard living, but her face was vibrant and alive. Her hair hadn't been cut in years, but it was pulled back in a tail, except where she had kept the front chopped shorter to stay out of her eyes. Even that was a bit long and wild.

He reluctantly released her only as Katie turned her eyes on Caitlin, and crouched down with a little more caution, but still smiling a huge, happy grin. "Hello, Caity-cat. It's mommy. Do you remember me?"

For a moment, she seemed to hesitate, still clinging to Hunk's leg. Then, Caitlin released his pants, and with a sob threw herself at Katie with a shout of, "Mommy!" And there was another tight embrace, and more tears, and Katie hugging their daughter fiercely, and murmuring how much she loved her, and how big she had gotten, and how she couldn't wait for Caitlin to tell her everything about her life and her friends.

Around them, even Katie's family stood at just enough distance to give them personal space. Though Hunk could tell just how desperately they all wanted to be close to her. But there was time now… plenty of time.

After a couple of minutes of Katie completely wrapped up in Caitlin, Hunk couldn't take it any longer. Behind her, most of the scientists had quietly disembarked and moved out of the way. "Katie… did you…?"

The bright grin put his mind at ease as she nodded. "Coran?" she called, turned around. "Is he ready?"

Coran appeared in the doorway, holding a wide-eyed toddler who was clearly unsure of what to make of his surroundings, but there was no way he was anyone's other than Hunk's. He brought the boy forward, and then set him down. The boy went straight to Katie, looking around with wide eyes.

Katie took the boy in her arms—where he immediately looked much larger—and turned to face them again, and while she addressed Caitlin, her voice was aimed at everyone. "Caitlin, this is Kale, your baby brother."

Caitlin's eyes went wide. "I have a brother?!" At that point, any hesitation on the girl's part vanished, as she was clearly fascinated by this development. "Kale? How old is he? What does he like? Hi Kale! I'm Caitlin. I'm your big sister."

"I promise you can ask us everything soon, but let's give him a little time" Katie she assured Caitlin as she held Kale close, but facing Hunk. "Kale, sweetie, this is your Daddy. I told you about Daddy, remember?"

Kale nodded, and Hunk wondered if his son had been prepared for the mountain of a human that was his father. His heart ached, wishing he could have been there from the beginning. "Hey, buddy," Hunk smiled his warmest dad grin. "I'm so glad you're here. I've been wanting to meet you for a long time."

"It's all right," Katie assured the boy. "You're going to love living with Daddy and Caitlin. They love to play games, and read stories, and all the things you and I do, too. And Daddy makes the best food in the whole universe."

"Do you like sweets?" Hunk asked, realizing he had no idea if Kale had ever even gotten to eat something like a dessert. What little he had heard did not make their lives here sound particularly hospitable.

But the word got an immediate grin out of Kale who nodded eagerly. "Yeah!"

Katie steered him forward, and Kale walked closer to Hunk, and put up his arms in the universal symbol for up. Hunk scooped him up and lifted him into a hug. Those little arms wrapped around him, and he broke into tears of relief, and joy. They were here, alive. He had Katie back…and a son.

"Not to interrupt," Colleen commented, interrupting anyway, but with a smile. "But can the rest of us mob you now?"

Katie laughed, and threw herself at her mother. "Of course, you can."

There was another flurry of hugs as Katie moved from her mother, to her father, to Matt. After that she stood back, giving her brother a coy look. "The pilot said your wife was on board? I vanish for three years and you get married! Who is she?"

Matt's grin turned sheepish and, standing just behind him, Veronica laughed. "That," she said, "would be me."

Katie's eyes went wide as she looked between them. Then she laughed, and hugged Veronica too. "I couldn't have asked for a better sister, even if I now have to question your taste in men."

"Hey!" Matt ruffled her hair in retaliation. "Veronica has excellent taste in everything. Especially me."

"You're a total nerd."

Veronica chuckled. "Yes, but he's my hot nerd."

"Daddy?" Hunk looked down at Caitlin, who was tugging on his pant leg. "Can you put Kale down? I want to talk to my brother some more."

Hunk looked at Kale. "Does that sound good to you?"

Kale nodded, still a little shy, but taking it all in with surprising calm for a kid whose entire life had just been upended. Or maybe he was used to that. Hunk set Kale down, and Caitlin started in on talking to him again, this time with a little more patience, the way she talked to Shiro and Curtis' youngest.

Coran had closed in while he was distracted, and had shaken hands with Sam and Colleen. Now he was watching Kale and Caitlin closely, looking a bit misty eyed.

Hunk turned to him. "It's good to have you back, Coran." He pulled the Altean into a hug. He looked like he could use one.

Coran gave a little 'oof' and then returned the brief exchange. "It's nice to be back. It's been a very strange few years. I'm glad to see Kale and Caitlin seem to be hitting it off. He's a really wonderful boy."

There was fondness there. It occurred to Hunk that, without him there, Coran had probably been the closest thing Kale had to a father. "Thank you," he said softly. "For taking care of them."

"It was a pleasure," Coran smiled back. "Though really, Pidge took care of me just as much. That's what friends are for after all." Up close, there were visible signs of the battle they had been through, and not all of them were new. In fact, most of them were scars that Hunk had never seen before, old ones on Coran's face. And a few streaks of gray in what had once been fully orange hair.

An unpleasant sensation crept up on Hunk, one he was startled to recognize as jealousy. Coran had been there when he couldn't be. Coran had been there to take care of Katie, and help raise Kale. His son was obviously comfortable and reassured in Coran's presence. As much as he looked for Katie in the crowd, he looked up at Coran too.

Of course, it was ridiculous to be jealous, he told himself. He really was grateful to their old friend.

"Hunk."

Hunk looked away from the kids, at Katie. He smiled.

She smiled back. "I'd really like to get settled and get our stuff to quarters… and a shower. I could really use a shower. It's been a really busy day."

That's right. Up until an hour ago, she'd been helping fight a war. "Of course. We're in our usual quarters. Do you remember the way?"

Katie chuckled as she bent down and picked up Kale. "I'm sure I can find it."

---

Her first real shower with practically limitless hot water and good pressure was possibly the most glorious thing Katie had ever felt. She might have stayed in there all afternoon if there hadn't been plenty to do. Still, she took the time to indulge in every aspect of personal care that had been denied her for years. She shampooed her hair, and then deep conditioned it—twice—cleaned and exfoliated every pore from the top of her head to the bottoms of her feet, cleaned out ears, and shaved body hair for the first time since she had gotten lost. It felt indulgent to have smooth skin again. Not that she had cared all that much about it before, but it felt nice today. The simple magic of modern toothpaste and mouthwash was a delightful change from the alternatives on Taklis. Then she rubbed lotion into every available inch of skin that she could reach.

When she couldn't reach her back, she called for Hunk.

"You need something?" He poked his head into their tiny bathroom.

"Can you reach my back?" She held out the bottle of lotion.

Hunk took it, but for a moment he just stood there.

It was the first time he'd seen her undressed in three years, she realized. She grinned. "Like what you see?"
Hunk blinked. "Oh, yeah. Of course, I do. You're beautiful."

"Your face says that's not exactly what you were thinking."

Hunk squirted lotion on his hands as he stepped up behind her, and started with her shoulders.

The minute his hands started working lotion into her taught muscles, she almost melted. Oh…ooooh…. That feels amazing. She was definitely going to have to remember to ask for a massage later.

She opened her eyes and looked at Hunk's reflection in the mirror. "Well?"

He looked uncomfortable. "You look great! You do. Just… you're so… thin. Even for you, I mean. Didn't they feed you?"

Oh. Katie looked at her own reflection, and considered it. She hadn't really had the luxury of looking at herself much the past few years. It hadn't mattered. She had always been lean, but she supposed that after years of rationing and eating only her own assigned portion, with all the physical activity she'd been doing, she did look a bit leaner, harder… At least I lost all the baby weight. "We had plenty to eat," she assured him. "I promise. There just wasn't ever really much extra to indulge in. Nothing like your phenomenal cooking." She turned around as he stopped rubbing, and stretched up to give him another quick kiss. "Speaking of which… why do you taste like cream cheese?" At least, she thought it was cream cheese.

Hunk stared at her, then laughed. "Romelle and I taught Caitlin how to make cheesecake earlier today…to pass the time. It's juniberry flower lavender; one of Romelle's recipes. Caitlin wanted to surprise you. It'll be at dinner."

"That sounds fantastic. I promise to be very surprised." Katie couldn't recall the last time she'd had anything so decadent, or sweet. Not that there was much dairy on Taklis to begin with. There was a kind of goatish creature that ran wild they had managed to tame for a while that gave a very rich, nutritious milk that had been good for supplementing once Kale was weaned.

Hunk's warm, dark eyes were watching her with such an expression of love and concern she could have lost herself in them for hours. But now was not yet the time for that… soon.

"Are the kids okay?"

Hunk blinked. "Yeah, they're fine. Caitlin's reading Kale all her favorite children's books right now. He's fascinated."

Her daughter was already reading. Of course, academically, she knew that Caitlin would have started school by now. Her baby had grown up. She was potty trained, and in school, and incredibly well-spoken already. Tears stung her eyes.

Hunk grew alarmed. "Pidge… what's wrong?"

"Nothing." She wiped the tears away with her hand. "I've just missed so much. The last time I saw Caitlin, she was almost exactly the same age as Kale is now. I've raised two toddlers, but I've missed so much of Caitlin's early childhood."

"And you're here now, for the rest of it," Hunk promised in his most reassuring tone. "She has so much she wants to tell you, I'm not sure you'll be able to get a word in edgewise, honestly. Also, I should warn you… she likes the outdoors. Be prepared to get outdoorsy."

Katie chuckled. "What do you think I've been doing for the past three years, living in a hotel?"

"Well, no." Hunk looked embarrassed. "I've got thousands of pictures, and video, for you whenever you want to look at them. I tried to record everything, just in case… you know."

She did know. "I did the same thing with Kale," she assured him. "Though I didn't have as much storage to record home movies."

"Daddy?" Caitlin poked her head in the doorway.

"What is it, sweetie?" Hunk turned around.

"Kale says he needs a change. Do we have diapers?"

"Do we?" Hunk turned back to Katie.

She nodded. "Yes, they're in my pack. Can you change him? If not, I'll do it after I get dressed."

"I'm pretty sure I still remember how," Hunk let her go, and slipped out.

Katie pulled on the clothes he had brought for her, marveling in the smooth softness of machine-woven cotton. Though if anything emphasized why Hunk had been concerned, it was pulling them on to find that while they fit all right, nothing was quite right anymore. The underwear was fine, but the bra was a bit snug. After a second child, she supposed that might be inevitable. The pants were good other than being loose at the waist, but they weren't going to fall off her hips, which had never quite been as narrow as before after as much as they'd stretched for Kale. Her preference for loose, comfortable shirts at least came in handy. It was the only thing that looked even remotely normal. She combed her hair, pulled it back up, and went back into the other room.

Hunk had indeed found the diapers, though he was staring at one as if it were vaguely alien. "Pidge, are these… reusable cloth diapers?"

"They are."

"You willingly used a washable diaper?"

"It wasn't like I had much of a choice, you know. Give me that." She took it out of Hunk's hand. Kale was waiting patiently, and she quickly dispatched the old one, wiped him down, whipped on the new one, and then put the old one in the toilet to soak. "See, it's not a big deal. We can start showing him how to use the flush toilet later, but he's almost fully trained otherwise. Now, how about dinner?" She hadn't eaten since this morning, and by ship's time, it was definitely time for food.

Hunk nodded. "Dinner should be ready. Are you ready to go?" he looked at Caitlin.

Caitlin nodded, and took Kale's hand. "I'll show you how to get there."

"Okay." Kale tightened his grip.

Katie's heart melted.

---

Dinner turned out to be a private affair in the captain's dining room, but without the captain in attendance. Apparently Navor was doing his duty, and seeing to the negotiation of a cease-fire and laying down some demands regarding the Yoan treatment of the indigenous races. Part of Katie very much wanted to be there, but there was nothing at that moment that could have torn her away from being in the presence of Hunk, and both of their children, all at the same time.

It was the four of them, her parents, Matt, Veronica, and Coran. Romelle popped in and out, not only to make sure the servers were bringing the right food, but also to chat. They stayed long enough that her shift was done and the kitchens closed before everyone was ready to call it an evening.

It was a much-needed evening of catching up. First, Katie grilled Matt and Veronica about their relationship, which she had completely missed. Not that she objected at all. Veronica was a fantastic person, and they seemed like a very good match. Fortunately, Veronica had wedding photos on her phone, and was happy to show them off. Katie felt warm and fuzzy all over again at the sight of Caitlin in her flower-girl dress. There were also a few of Caitlin playing with the other kids at the wedding, and a mess of dogs.

"That one's Juni, our dog," Caitlin said pointing to one of the golden balls of fluff.

Katie looked at Hunk. "We have a dog?"

He had the good grace to look at least slightly sheepish. "Caitlin loves animals, and she's really well behaved. You weren't really here to ask soooo…. I decided it was a good idea."

"Well, she does look really cute, and I do like dogs." She couldn't say she minded. Kale loved wildlife, so he would probably enjoy a small dog, too. "Where is Juni now?"

"In our quarters," her mother spoke up, "with her siblings. We have two from the same litter."

"They're from Uncle Lance's farm," Caitlin explained. "Juni's very smart. She knows all kinds of tricks."

"I look forward to meeting her later." Surprise upon surprise.

Despite everything that had happened while she was gone, it was reassuring to find that many things were also the same. Her parents, for example, and her brother, who other than being married and much happier with his life, was still the same Matt she had always known.

The food itself was delicious. Once upon a time Katie would not have called Garrison kitchen cooking gourmet, but compared to a lot of what they had lived off of lately, it was decadence. The cheesecake Caitlin had helped make was definitely the hit of the evening, and it was rewarding to see her daughter's face glow with pleasure at all the compliments her food got.

Afterwards they went back to their quarters, with only a short detour to her parents' rooms to meet the infamous Juni, who Katie was pleased to find, took to her immediately. She was a young dog, but grown, and while she was obviously energetic, she didn't jump. After sniffing Kale, Juni licked him, and Kale laughed, and they were also immediate friends.

It was only when Kale started yawning that they went back, and dealt with bedtime baths. Kale had been in a shower before, but never one this nice, and he'd had almost as much fun in the falling hot water as he had with anything else today. Caitlin hardly needed any help at all. After, Caitlin picked out one of her books she hadn't read to Kale yet, and they all snuggled up on the couch, a pile of four, and Katie read the story out loud. Then they tucked the kids into bed on the fold-out mattress on the floor, with plenty of blankets and pillows.

Kale poked at the pillow in wonder. "It fluffier!"

"It is much softer than your old pillow," Katie agreed as she kissed him good night. "Do you like it?"

"Mmhmm." He kissed her cheek back. "Love you."

"Love you, too." She turned to Caitlin. "And I love you, too. I missed you lots and lots."

Caitlin smiled up at her. "I missed you too, Mommy. But Daddy, and Uncle Lance, and Grandma and Grandpa, an' Matt, an' everyone told me lots of stories."

"I'm glad they did. Sleep tight. We'll have plenty of fun tomorrow." She kissed Caitlin's cheek, and moved out of the way so Hunk could say goodnight to the kids as well.

Both dropped off relatively quickly, and Katie was content to sit on the couch—which did seem incredibly softer than she remembered—in her pajamas, snuggled up against Hunk's side, with a stomach full of delicious food. Hunk slipped his warm, strong arm around her shoulder. She sighed, feeling contentedly drowsy herself. "I love you… and your cooking."

"I know," Hunk chuckled, in a deep warm rumble. "You've only told me so about twenty times this evening."

"I can stop if you're tired of hearing it."

Hunk squeezed her shoulders. "No, please, I don't mind hearing it at all. Besides, I love you too." He kissed the top of her head, which was all he could reach in that position. "I missed you so much."

"I know," Katie smiled, tilting her head to look up at him. "You've only told me so about twenty times this evening."

Hunk kissed her again, properly on the mouth this time. "If only we were alone…"

"It's going to be at least sixteen years before we have any hope of being alone ever again," Katie pointed out, with a twinge of regret. Three years apart, and as sleepy as she was, she would not at all have been averse to tumbling into bed with Hunk. It had been a very long, very lonely three years. "Not that I want to let either one of them out of my sight," she admitted, and she looked at her children again. She was so relieved that Caitlin had taken to Kale right away. She would be able to help him adjust to the very different life they would be leading from now on. "This feels so incredibly strange, and entirely wonderful at the same time."

"I know what you mean."

Katie felt a twinge of guilt. "Hunk… there's something I need to say to you."

"What is it?" he asked, and an anxious expression crossed his face.

"I'm sorry. If I'd been more careful in that cave, none of this would have happened to us. I put you and Caitlin through so much worry and pain, and I wasn't here. You had no idea what happened to us, but at least I knew that you two were probably safe."

Hunk hugged her again. "Aww, Pidge. I'm sorry, too."

"For what?" she asked, puzzled.

His dark eyes were full of guilt, and sorrow. "For giving up. I should have believed in you. It's not like it's the first time we've magically vanished from time for years." Despite the quip at the end, the pain and guilt were written all over him. "I thought you were both dead."

Katie reached around him as far as she could with her free arm, and squeezed. "It's not like you had any evidence to the contrary. It took me years to manage to successfully send a message just to tell you where we were."

"You were telling us over dinner." Hunk nodded. Katie and Coran had been plied for information of their adventures through a good portion of dinner as well, and had regaled them with several daring adventures, though most of the story had focused on their attempts to rescue prisoners with the resistance, and contact any planet in the Galactic Coalition. "I hate to admit it, but I'm jealous of Coran."

That had come out of nowhere. She looked up at him. "You're kidding. Why?"

"He was with you. I mean, I'm grateful he took such good care of you, and Kale… but it should have been me."

Of course. "Don't worry. This isn't some horrible old Earth soap opera. Coran is a great friend, but we're still just friends. Though, Lance might have to fight Coran for the favorite uncle spot. Coran's got quite a head start on that front."

Hunk's smile returned. "Well, I'm sure he's up for the challenge. He's had lots of practice with Caitlin. If you're not too sleepy, I could pull up those photos and recordings I mentioned. I mean, there's probably thousands of them, but we could start."

"And I can show you some of my favorites of Kale," she agreed. "I do have video of his first steps, and playing with his friends, and his first word."

"What was his first word?" Hunk asked curiously. "I mean, besides mama."

Katie smiled. "It was fruit."