Chapter Summary: A little bit of this, a little bit of that.
Chapter Word Count: 4,585
"This is an amazing view," Andy said, looking around. Spread out below her was a vast field of stars.
"Yes," Miranda said. "This is one of the advantages of being ascended, being able to travel beyond the Earth and see the entire galaxy. It adds a certain amount of perspective to everything."
"I'm glad you shared this with me," Andy said. "The Shadow would kill for this kind of view."
"Unfortunately, there is no way to turn this into the kind of data stream she loves to view," Miranda said. "We are not actually here, but home. This is a different plane of existence."
"So it's basically a virtual view," Andy said.
"Correct," Miranda said. "Although I can show it to you, I can't show you the other things I am seeing while on this plane."
"Can you see the Bugs from here?" Andy asked.
"They are that dark smudge off in the distance," Miranda said, waving. "They just barely register."
"Shouldn't they be closer?" Andy asked, squinting.
"They have not really begun to impact our sphere," Miranda said. "They are still too far away."
"Can you estimate when they'll get here?" Andy asked. "Is that even possible?"
"At this level, no," Miranda said. "I have been keeping Lady Shadow updated on the status of the Bugs but there isn't much to see yet. They are still at least three years distant."
"Three more years to prepare," Andy said. "That doesn't feel like enough time."
"No matter how much time it really is it will never feel like enough. That's just the nature of how your brain processes time," Miranda said. "Much like a faulty chess computer. Some things never feel correct, especially with the long game.'"
"That's an interesting comparison," Andy said.
"It is unavoidable that some being who has ascended take the long view," Miranda said. "I suspect that the Ascended in the Goa'uld world have no real connection to current inhabitants and therefore do not have a lot of empathy with them."
"From stories told by Jack, that's definitely true," Andy said. "Their Ascended are big on non-interference, no matter how catastrophic it might be. As Jack said, they took the 'f'-'u' out of fun."
"That is not how I would phrase it," Miranda said, "but I agree with the sentiment."
"I'd like to visit them, once our Bug problem is taken care of," Andy said. "We have a galaxy wide civilization but even with the Goa'uld, Jack's world has more true freedom."
"As long as you don't interfere in something their Ascended are watching," Miranda said.
"I got that vibe," Andy said, nodding. "But other than you, do we have any Ascended in this universe?"
"I have not encountered any signs of ascended beings," Miranda said. "But it is possible they behave differently."
"Or they don't stay on a plane where they can interact with those less fortunate," Andy said. "More like gods and goddesses than 'ascended' enlightened beings."
"Possibly," Miranda said. "But they have left nothing behind."
"What about the Gates?" Andy asked.
"An advanced civilization, certainly," Miranda said. "But they disappeared many millennia ago. No one has any idea that they even existed, except those of us who have experienced it."
"They could be the ones who built that ring," Andy said. "Though it doesn't seem to use the same tech from the reports I've read."
"We've pinpointed Blue Team, Lady Air," Rio said. "They're a hundred clicks spin-ward from where they disappeared."
"Good," Santana said. "Any updates on their situation?"
"None," Rio said. "They have been exploring the complex but it appears to have been abandoned years ago. There's still no explanation for how they got there. All of the gear that looks likes it would be needed is just the right fit."
"You should have a pickup in ten minutes," Santana said. "Proceed cautiously, we still don't know anything about the ring or its builders, other than they prefer to disarm than deal with armed aggressors."
"Any additional orders, Lady Air," Rio asked, scanning her surroundings.
"Bring everyone back, and don't get caught yourself," Santana said.
"Yes, Lady Air," Rio said, leaving off the implied 'we won't get caught, they're a bunch of amateurs.'
Santana looked over the recovered Blue Team. They appeared to be in good health, so whatever had happened to them couldn't have been too stressful. "What exactly are you wearing?"
"We believe they are survival suits, Lady Air," Geordi said. "We found a number of them in the tunnels below the control room."
"I hope you've preserved some in their original state," Santana said.
"Of course," Joy said. "Just for you, ma'am." Reaching into a pocket, she pulled out several of the survival suit packets and held them out.
Raising an eyebrow, Santana indicated that they be put on a nearby table.
"What else did you discover," Santana asked. It wasn't the anti-Bug weapons she'd been hoping for but it was certainly a start.
"It's more crystal tech," Janice said. "Same writing, same appearance as the tech we found around the crystal Gates, but not as old."
"I suspected as much," Santana said. "There just aren't that many space faring civilizations in this sector."
"They might not be from this sector, originally," Janice said. "We don't even know what they looked like. Other than 'human height' there's very little to go on."
"Opinion, Rio?" Santana asked, after Blue Team had been sent off to medical for evaluation.
"It was an abandoned control center," Rio said. "It was connected to a dozen like it, none occupied. There appears to be no reason why they were dumped in that one."
"What else did we learn?" Santana asked, idly poking one of the packets.
"That there is something living or existing on this Ring that doesn't want to be seen. And they are very likely watching us wander around. There are too many unknowns to know if we have any defenses against them, but so far we seem to be safe."
"Good, so spread the word, use extreme caution," Santana said.
"Yes, Lady Air," Rio said.
"Make sure the entire complex is scanned and catalogued," Santana said. "We don't want to miss anything." Nodding, Rio left her alone in her war room. Checking the clock, Santana opened a channel to Brittany. "Hey Brit," she said.
"What's up?" Brittany asked. "Did you find your missing crew, and mine?"
"All found and returned," Santana said. She looked at the light glancing off of the Ring, turning it into a glittering ornament in space.
"In some ways it's a beautiful place, though a bit larger than anything I'd want to manage."
"Any signs of what you're looking for?" Brittany asked.
"There is alien tech here, obviously," Santana said. "But it appears to be well hidden. If something hadn't decided to play a joke on Blue Team, we wouldn't have noticed."
"So, you don't think it was some automated system that grabbed them?" Brittany asked.
"It just doesn't feel right," Santana said. "It feels like there's an intelligence behind it. Will we ever see it? Unknown."
"Let me know if you need reinforcements," Brittany said. "We can spare a few more troopers or Shadows if you need them."
"Will do," Santana said, before signing off. She sighed, rubbing her forehead. She decided she'd had enough excitement for the day and sent a prayer to the Clan goddesses asking for a peaceful week.
"Who are you and what do you want," she said, addressing the unknown person or persons that had briefly taken one of her teams and sent them elsewhere. She hoped it was something simple. With war creeping up on them slowly but surely, she wasn't ready for anything too complex.
And no Artie to bug when things got slow, she thought. She didn't often think about the Confederation AI in their midst but the AI's voice had been a long term fixture in her life for so long that she almost missed it. "Rio!" She shouted.
"Yes, Lady Air?" Rio asked.
"Prepare for an outing, back to that control center. I'll be coming with you this time," Santana said. "Let's see if a different pair of eyes find anything. And let's map it."
"Yes, Lady Air," Rio said, picking up some subtle clue that Santana was excited and reacting in response.
"Not very colorful," Santana said, looking around the control center. "How did you get it to work?"
Janice, once more dressed in her stealth suit, her spare one, took out her crystal lock-pick and tapped one of the consoles to generate a tone.
"That's a little awkward," Santana said. "I assume that is a prototype?"
"Yes, Lady Air," Janice said. "We're working on an improved model, though lab space on the cruiser is a bit sparse."
"Have you tried an oscillating crystal?" Santana asked. "Something with a wider spectrum?"
"Not yet," Janice said. "We have been focusing on opening doors and other things."
"Something like a sonic screwdriver?" Santana said. "We've all built those at one time or another."
"The Doctor always got himself out of trouble with it," Joy said, perking up. "But it was unrealistically powerful."
"The earlier episodes, the really old ones, he didn't do much with it," Santana said. "Something like that should be easy to duplicate It would certainly be an easier form to carry around than the little chip you are using."
"Ye, Lady Air," Janice said. "This has to be adjusted for different uses, using our nano-bots. So changes can take a little while."
"I suspect this isn't as dead as it looks," Santana said, wandering around. "It's just too clean for that, unless they left the automatic cleaning equipment running."
"We tried all of the consoles," Joy said. "We even had Geordi use her sexy command voice, and nothing happened."
Turning towards Blue Team Lead, Santana raised an eyebrow at the blushing Geordi. "Maybe it was the wrong 'sexy voice'," Santana said. "Did anyone else try it?"
"No, Lady Air," Janice said.
"I like to think I have the sexiest voice in the Clan," Santana said, smirking, "but this calls for someone with the ability to insert an extra dose. Which will have to wait, she's busy. For now, let's search extra hard for anything that looks like it doesn't quite belong."
Quinn stared down at her tablet and the results of the last week of testing. She was working on a training regimen to produce elite troopers. Her current teams were all in peak fitness, and excelled but she was looking for troopers with just that little bit extra that she could deploy as special units, her equivalent to Special Forces.
But it wasn't turning out exactly as planned. The harder she pushed the better they did, which should have been impossible. Over and over she'd pushed her teams beyond where they'd gone before, and they just kept going.
"Artie?"
"Yes, Lady Q?"
"Can you explain these results?" Quinn asked. "What is going on with my teams?"
"They have not to reached their peak," Artie said. "They are Serpent Clan. The more you push the closer they get."
"How do you know they haven't reached peak yet," she asked.
"Because they do not yet match the performance ability of the one person who has reached peak," Artie said.
"Who would that paragon be?" Quinn asked.
"You," Artie said, causing Quinn to choke. "Most of them have some combination of your genetics and original Serpent Clan genetics so they should be able to reach your level but while they have been getting closer they haven't reached it."
"There must be other Clan who are pushing the limit," Quinn said. "Shouldn't they be looking for someone else to emulate?"
"They worship you, Lady Q. You are their ideal," Artie said.
"I'm nothing special," Quinn said, refusing to believe the AI.
Quinn quietly entered Rachel's studio, waving off her assistant. She wasn't a regular visitor to Rachel's private space in their primary Cancun office but she'd been there often enough to know her way around. It was a warm and comfortable place; something she had come to look forward to after being out in the field. And once the Bugs arrived, something she expected to have very little time to spend in.
They had come a long way from when the Clan had first taken them in. She wasn't sure if she correctly remembered her life before this. It was a distant, dream like memory. She suspected the only one who really remembered their past in Lima was Rachel, and not because it was so much better but because it wasn't. Of the four of them, Rachel had gained the most. Yes, Santana now had a fleet of warships under her command, and Brittany was a spymaster beyond any that she'd ever heard of, and she, Quinn, had a small army of talented and scary warrior women who would follow her into Hell if need be.
But Rachel had become the cultural centerpiece of an entire society. As she went so went Clan culture. All the music and art of the Clan was at her command. An army may travel on its stomach but a society lived for its art. And Rachel was at its center. Something way beyond what Quinn imagined she'd wanted back in high school. She could sing and dance to her hearts content. And it was encouraged!
But there were still some things she couldn't have or were denied her. Quinn knew that her obsession with Rachel in high school had been very unhealthy. And had never made much sense. Th first few years after joining the Clan, while they are all still getting their sea legs, she'd offered friendship, and only friendship, to Rachel. But over time it had grown to be more, or at least she'd recognized it as more. To the point that she'd given Rachel a token of her affection and a commitment to always be there for her.
She wasn't sure if she was being fair to Rachel. When the Bugs showed up she would be consumed with the defense of their system, world, and sector. And there were no guarantees that she would survive the upcoming war in one piece. But she needed to let Rachel know that she was willing to take that final step and acknowledge their bond before that happened. She wasn't sure yet if it was a fabled soul bond, like the one Brittany claimed between herself and Santana but there was definitely something there. Some part of her heart just seemed to beat faster when she thought about Rachel.
When she'd originally gone to the Amazon planet, before the Ring Planet incident, she'd spent time searching her thoughts for some indication of what she should do. She'd even consulted their holy people in an effort to understand her inner thoughts and feelings.
It hadn't yielded any surprises. Apparently, she knew herself fairly well. And watching Andy and Miranda reconnect after so many years apart had been inspiring. Their situation had been very different but the love she thought she saw between Miranda and Andy could power a platoon of hard suits. And they were such different people. If those two could find a way to reconnect, she and Rachel should also be able to.
"What brings you here?" Rachel said, sweeping into the office behind her, humming a song.
"I was hoping to see you," Quinn said. "We haven't talked much since we rescued you and Santana from the Ring."
"I've been here," Rachel said. "You just had to drop in and say hello."
"I'm here now," Quinn said, stepping closer, stopping only when she was staring down into Rachel's eyes. "Hello," she whispered.
"Why, hello," Rachel said, grinning happily up at her. "You seem very centered today. What's going on?"
"I've been thinking. About us," Quinn said, lightly touching Rachel's soft cheek with the tips of her fingers. "And I'm ready."
Rachel didn't question her or ask her what she was ready for. From the way her eyes lit up and her smile increased, Quinn could tell she knew.
"I'm not sure if now is the right time, Rachel, but if I wait for that perfect moment it may never happen," Quinn said. "So I'm making now that moment."
"Just by being here you make it perfect," Rachel said. Raising her hand, she in turn touched Quinn's face for a moment, her palm against Quinn's cheek.
"I'm not sure if love is the best word to describe how I feel when I'm with you," Quinn said. "But something fills me with joy, when I see you smile, when I hear your voice, when I watch you move, and I wanted you to know, without a doubt that you make me happy. More happy than I've ever been."
Without a word, Rachel reached out and wrapped her arms around Quinn's waist, and pressed her ear against her heart. Quinn could feel a slight tremble from her as she held on like that for several minutes.
"It took me a long time to understand what my feeling for you meant," Rachel said, in a soft voice. "Those feeling you describe? They match what I feel when you are with me. I would call it love but love seems such a small word to describe my feeling for you."
"Where do we go from here?" Quinn asked. "If you wish a formal acknowledgement of my feelings to the entire Clan I'll do it, or some token of my love?"
"I have everything I need in here," Rachel said, placing her hand against her heart. "Your feelings are branded on my heart."
Quinn reached into a pocket and took out a small crystal case. "I did a little research," she said, "and this is the formal Clan bonding gift. Some texts say there should be a ceremony while others don't." She held it out to Rachel.
Rachel carefully took the case, her hands shaking. Opening it revealed a delicate seeming earring in Clan colors nestled on a cloth combining the official colors of the Clan Memory and the Hand of the Council. "It's beautiful," she said, looking down at it. "Please put it on," she whispered. "Which ear?"
"The left is for a public declaration," Quinn said. "It'll sting for moment. Do you still want it?"
"Yes," Rachel said. "Please put it on."
Picking up the earring, she tilted Rachel's ear slightly, and placed it above her earlobe. The was a small hum as it pierced her ear.
"What does it look like?" Rachel asked.
"Like it belongs there," Quinn said. Turning Rachel, she guided her towards a mirror near the inner door.
"It does," Rachel said, gently touching it. "Always."
"A new earring?" Hiram said, leaning closer after waving Rachel into their home.
"It's a sign of great things to come," Rachel said, smiling widely, and twirling around. "Quinn gave it to me last night."
"What does it mean?" he asked.
"It's part of the Clan bonding ritual," Rachel said, humming happily.
"She asked you to marry her?" Hiram said. "Leroy, get out here!" he said turning towards the kitchen.
"What's up babe?" Leroy said, joining them. "Hey baby girl," he said, leaning down to give her a hug.
"Rachel is getting married!" Hiram said.
"Quinn gave you a ring?" Leroy asked, taking Rachel's hands. "Is it invisible?"
"No," Rachel said, laughing. "It's not a ring." She held her hand up to her ear.
"So, the Clan give each other engagement earrings?" Leroy said, puzzled.
"No," Rachel said. "It's a formal bonding gift. Once I give her hers we'll be bonded."
"So, married?" Hiram said. "No white dress? No walking you down the aisle?" He frowned. "You get an earring and that's it?"
"There is a traditional bonding ceremony, but it's rarely done," Rachel said. "That's not the important part."
"What's the important part?" Leroy asked, sitting down on the porch swing.
"We're getting bonded," Rachel said, grinning and spinning again. "She loves me enough to tell the whole world."
"No white dress?" Hiram said softly, in a disappointed voice. He sat down next to Leroy on the swing.
"Even if we had a ceremony, there wouldn't be a white dress or an aisle," Rachel said. "It would be in traditional Clan robes, under the stars."
"But there is a ceremony?" Hiram said.
"Yes," Rachel said. "But it isn't necessary."
"As one of your fathers, I believe a formal ceremony is necessary," Hiram said. "You're our little girl, our only daughter. This is something for us, not just you."
"Do you feel the same?" Rachel said, looking at Leroy.
"Yes," Leroy said. "Ceremonies are an important part of family."
"I'll have to talk with Quinn," Rachel said.
"How did it go?" Quinn asked, her voice distant as it traveled across the system, where she was leading a practice jump on Pluto.
"They're happy for us," Rachel said.
"But?" Quinn said, hearing the hesitation in her voice.
"They want us to have the bonding ceremony," Rachel said.
"Not unexpected," Quinn said. "They're your fathers."
"Not going to say 'I told you so'?" Rachel said.
"No," Quinn said. "Which bonding ceremony did you want to use?"
Rachel pulled up the list of all known Clan bonding ceremonies on her tablet to refresh her memory. "None of them feel right," she said. "They're interesting historically but don't rally represent the Clan and us now."
"How many bonding ceremonies have we had since we began rebuilding the Clan?" Quinn asked.
"None?" Rachel said. "We have several hundred registered bonded pairs but none of them used a formal ceremony when they bonded."
"Huh," Quinn murmured after several minutes of silence, where Rachel assumed she was distracted by the jump.
"How many of us are there now? Almost a quarter million, including the latest generations sill in the pods? And no one has had a formal bonding ceremony? Maybe we just don't need one?" Quinn said.
"Or maybe we need one that speaks to us, and not the past?"
"Well, here's your opportunity," Quinn said. "Look at the bonding ceremonies you have on record and make one that is this Clan now."
"I can do that," Rachel said excitedly.
"Make sure you involve Sophia," Quinn said. "The Weaver will want to be involved, I suspect."
"Of course," Rachel said. "It won't be just some bureaucratic signing of papers, though we could have that also."
"Let me know when you have something that you are happy with," Quinn said.
"It might be a few weeks," Rachel said.
"Plenty of time," Quinn said. "We already know our truth."
"Yes, yes we do," Rachel said softly.
The ever present humming stopped. "What are you thinking about?" Rachel said, looking up from her tablet where she was transcribing another epic poem.
"This," Quinn said, reaching over and lightly touching the small earring that signaled to everyone who knew what it meant that Rachel was part of a bonded pair. Quinn knew if she felt her own ear, a similar earring would be there. "When I gave it to you."
"That was a wonderful night," Rachel said, . "We've had wonderful ones since then but that one I'll always remember. And the night you let me return the favor."
"There was no letting," Quinn said, smiling at her. "It took two of us for the bond to be complete. I was fully aware of the symbolism and process."
"Well, the bonding ceremony was unique," Rachel said.
"And very appropriate," Quinn said. "As much as we didn't need it, it felt right."
"And a dozen bonded pairs have used it since," Rachel said. "With some minor variations, of course."
"It must have spoken to them also," Quinn said. "But some parts of the ceremony were really just for us."
"I designed it to be flexible," Rachel said. "And so it could be personalized. Even Sophia was happy with the results."
Quinn nodded, but didn't speak.
"Why were you thinking about that night?" Rachel asked, after several minutes of companionable silence.
"I can feel something coming," Quinn said. "If not tomorrow, then next week, we'll get our first glimpse of the Bugs. And then things will be hard until we defeat them for good. And I need to refresh my memory of all of our good moments together. Store them up for when we will be apart."
"This is something we've never done before," Rachel said. "Since the moment we stepped out of the pods together we haven't really been far apart. The fight against the Bugs is not going to be over overnight. It could be years."
"Yes," Quinn said. "We won't be able to see each other for long periods of time. But I will be thinking of you constantly."
"And we do have the comms," Rachel said. "You aren't becoming a hermit."
"Yes, when we can we will be in touch through the comms. It seems to work for Santana and Brittany. Santana is out there with the Fleet for weeks at a time," Quinn said.
"Although I've read accounts of past Clan wars, I have a hard time visualizing what this is going to be like," Rachel said. Putting down her tablet, she threw herself into Quinn's arms. She sniffled, but didn't cry.
"I promise to always come back," Quinn said, "no matter how far away or where I go."
"If you don't, I'll come after you," Rachel said, kissing her in promise. "We're bonded and that means something beyond this life."
"Sappy," Santana said from the doorway. "Like from some tele-novella."
"Be nice, San," Brittany said. "They do things with words."
"I prefer actions," Santana said, pulling Brittany against her.
"Which is why your quarters are soundproofed," Quinn said.
"What can I say," Santana said, smirking. "Some things are worth shouting about."
"I think we should celebrate," Brittany said.
"Celebrate what?" Rachel said.
"Us. The future. The Clan," Brittany said. "A party before it becomes dark out there."
"Everyone? That'll be some big party," Santana said.
"Very traditional," Rachel said. "Make some good memories before going into battle the first time."
The feeling that she wasn't alone flitted across Rachel's mind. Looking up from her pad, she saw Brittany leaning against her doorway, an unfathomable look on her face.
"What brings you here?" Rachel asked. The last time she'd seen Brittany in her office had been three months ago when they'd had an impromptu celebration of the anniversary of the reemergence of the Clan on the day of the so-called Mayan apocalypse.
"It's beginning," Brittany said. "The Bugs have crossed our outermost scanners along the border with Blue and should be in a habitable area within the year. And here in two."
"What do you need me to do?" Rachel asked, standing.
"For now? Nothing. But we'll need to start spreading the idea that a war is coming and that the Clan will be ready to defend this planet," Brittany said. "Subtly, of course."
"Of course," Rachel said. "And how do we do that?"
"I have a few ideas," Brittany said. "But they'll need your special touch."
"So tell me your ideas," Rachel said, waving at the chair in front of her, and sitting back down herself.
"Well, the first thought I had was…" Brittany said as she began outlining her ideas.
End Note:
And so we leave our ladies for now. The next part of the story will be something a bit different. Another side story. An origin story of sorts. With music, and dancing, and a quest or two. And then the penultimate story - Book V - Battle With the Bugs (Title may change).