3

Ianto had a furlough and had taken the shuttle across to the Mother Ship, finding the Cardiff as large and imposing as when he had led Rhiannon and the kids onboard.

The extra money had ensured a top-grade berth and he knew she was grateful for the new life on offer and the unspoken fact that he could have left her in her own swill since he had not agreed to her marriage to Johnny Davies in the first place. Of course, she got what she wanted… and this was not the first time he had been right.

At least he hadn't said that.

Ianto calmly inputted the entry code, feeling like a fraud in a strange land, then stepped inside the luxury lodgings to find Mica in the main room.

"UNKA!" she screamed loudly, running for him with her arms out, the delight on her face like a balm.

"Hey punk" he kissed her cheek lovingly and took an extra moment to cuddle her close, then rose to watch his sister appear from the other room that was a kitchenette.

"Hey" she said, her smile soothing as he had been sure what he was going to find. Looks like she had found her feet. The fading on her face showing she was also a fast healer.

"Where's the boy?"

"Got a playdate" she said, and his mouth fell open as he mouthed the word.

"Yeah… David has a friend called Gorge. Like… eating lots" Mica laughed.

"A Gorge is like a valley, a steep ravine between two hills is called a gorge too" he explained "It is a good earthy name."

"I did not know that" she was genuinely interested.

"And I got a job!"

"What?" Ianto rose from where he had been kneeling to address Mica to look at his sister with surprise.

"Yeah. In the kitchen. I was sick of the mess in the dining room so I started cleaning tables, so they asked me if I want to earn some credits. I work while the kids are at school, get ready made food to bring home and credits so when we get where we are going not only will there be the left-over credits from the money we… ah… used… both of us will be earning extra." She grinned "We might have enough to ensure a good homebase."

"Well… I am impressed" Ianto said "well done sis."

"You gonna stay for dinner?"

"I am gonna stay overnight".

"YAY" Mica screamed, jumping up and down "Just when I thought it could not get any better. Food and snuggles!"

"Oh. That's what is happening is it?" Ianto laughed lifting her up to dance with "My princess."

Rhiannon watched and hoped this would all go as smoothly as it had so far.

But of course, my dear reader… with me at the helm we both know that is not possible. I am a benevolent handler … a cruel one at times… but in the end… we will have fun. For my dearest Meretrixvilis… in honour of her entire 365 day's travel around the sun… I will make this.. messy. Oh yes.

So…come with me.

.

.

Ianto was watching the black outside the huge portal that was the height of the entire room, the meal being eaten behind him the last one for the evening before the lights go low to simulate night. He became aware of another beside him and knew before he turned his head it was another Woody that had been chosen at the same time as him, this one friendly as fuck. They were both on furlough and seemingly found themselves together.

"Wow."

Ianto found himself smiling as he turned his head to look at the man beside him "First time out here?"

"Yeah. I mean… I always wanted to fly but Me Mam… she's a bit clingy ya see. My dad died when I was ten, her preggers and in a bad way… I had to go into service to make dosh" the man replied.

"Andy, right?"

"Yeah. Hi. My Mam and little brother are on board, my gran too, but we all know wherever we are going, she might not make it. I didn't want to leave her behind and she wanted to experience it so…" he shrugged.

"So how old is your little brother now?"

"Twelve" Andy said with pride and Ianto felt slightly sick as this means the man beside him is barely twenty two. Christ. His own twenty six is bad enough but… damn. The cut off is twenty one so he just scraped in. "The Strangles, ya know? Scared the fuck out of us. All of us, its in the sector now, some whispers that it's already on planet. I knew it was now or never. Once Strangles is reported there is no leaving."

"Yeah, I heard that too" Ianto admitted.

"You got family here too?"

Ianto turned to point "My sister and her two kids."

"Wow. A sister. How's that?"

Ianto made a face "Complicated."

Andy sniggered and both men went back to watching the other vessels in the far distance, little specs as they moved in formation. Andy then asked "So… what is the purpose of all these little bug ships like our fireflies when they have those big blasters?"

"Ah." Ianto smiled, this one of the things that amused him "Think of this ship… The SV Cardiff… as a huge whale moving through the deep. Right?"

Andy nodded.

"So, the big shiny blasters are the sharks. They circle the whale, keeping it safe and looking for any danger that might attack it. Like… a symbiotic relationship, the Whale keeps the sharks alive with the fish it doesn't eat… the Sharks keep the whale alive. Moving as one through the water."

"Yeah, but what are we? Little crappy firefly class fuckers simply blasting about with not clear flight path or purpose. We don't even keep to a formation" Andy waved a hand as one flew past the window, as if to prove his point.

"Ah. This is where a killer whale comes into the story."

"What?"

"So… a big pod of killer whales sees the whale and the sharks and thinks… yum yum. I can eat the whale… or maybe a few sharks and come in for the feeding frenzy."

Andy stared at him and Ianto grinned, adding "They don't see the little crazy fuckers waiting to one side."

Andy continued to stare at him.

Ianto laughed "We are the piranha. Don't you get it? Small, move so fast we don't get caught on radar or scans… we are invisible out there. OK… think of the Blasters as tics on a dog. We are a virus that can kill the tic as easily as another dog coming to attack our dog."

"So, the big flash Blaster ships… are a distraction?" Andy finally got it "For all their bullshit and bluster and grab-arsing… in a real battle…"

"They would run and hide behind us" Ianto nodded, "Exactly. We do not work to the rules, we are independently owned and operated spaceships, captained by pirates. Those militarial solders do things by the book. Predicable. In sync and easily read. Us? The Bastards of the Black? We are the danger they do not see."

Jack Harkness sat at a nearby table with his family and listened to the man as he turned to Andy and said with a strange pride "And we will tear their dicks off to shove down their throats while those uniformed fucks in their shiny silver ships are still arguing over what hat to wear for the Conflict Resolution Meeting."

Andy roared with mirth as Ianto slapped his arm and then started for his table, seeing Mica was finished and wanting down.

Jack leaned back in his chair his eyes following the man he had underestimated. Now… now he saw why John had given him a second glance.

He was like them.

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.

Interesting.