A/N: So after being almost 10 chapters in, I started to get ideas and was wondering if anyone would be interested in a prequel story! Not sure how long I would make it, but obviously I would cover important moments that I feel contributed to the show, my story additions and any other suggestions/ideas of what you guys would want to see with Spacekru. Let me know your thoughts!

Trig in Italics

It only took a few hours for the ship to return to the Valley. But Diyoza had everyone stay on the ship until morning. Thankfully they took Karina to Abby to try and save her and get her stitched up. As some tried to rest Echo stayed awake and alert until the doors opened and they were all led off.

Diyoza stood at the front as she began the small tour of a home most of them already knew. But to see the Valley and the green lush, they couldn't help but be awed and amazed.

"Like each of us, somehow this Valley survived." Diyoza began as they walked through the village. They watched as the prisoners were everywhere, some just hanging out, others practicing their shooting. The rest were up and about with their own tasks. Echo took in as much as she could while trying to keep Griffin by her side.

"To build a life here, we all have responsibilities. You will too." Diyoza continued.

Kane cut in with his own encouragement to keep the defectors at ease, seeing their looks of uncertainty. "All of us left Polis for a better way. And all of us must do our part to get it."

"I'll be sitting down with each of you, to learn your stories. To hear what skills you can bring to the community. And to see if you can be trusted." Diyoza told them as they stopped in front of what looked like a church.

"Until you've been cleared, your collars have been geotagged to this building. Welcome home." She finished before stepping aside to let them all in.

As they all began up the steps and into the building Kane excused himself and took off toward another building. One by one they entered and looked around to see the scattered beds set up for them. A few prisoners standing guard at the front doors. There was also a table of food laid out for them that many were quick to get to. Once Echo walked in her eyes immediately fell onto Raven who had her own plate of food. Raven looked at her shocked for a moment before a smile crept it's way onto her face and she stepped forward but Echo gave a short and hidden shake of her head to get her to wait. She decided it was best that they not give away they knew each other as long as possible. At least until they had a proper spot inside the building to speak.

When Griffin finally saw her his eyes widened and he smiled. Echo was quick to put her hand on his shoulder to keep him next to her, "Remember the game love." He pouted as he nodded and stayed next to her.

Raven then walked over to the bed she had already claimed and sat down. Echo guided Griffin over and had him sit on the bed opposite of her.

"Hey spacewalker" Echo greeted her softly, trying to keep her voice as low as possible but still at a volume she could hear her at.

Scanning the room once more she took her own seat next to Griffin and looked at Raven who offered her and Griffin some bread.

"Finally, tell me this is a rescue op." Raven asked as she leaned forward.

"It won't be anything if we can't get out of this place." Echo told her plain and simple before taking a bite of the bread.

"I'm betting by now my girl has figured out how to slip her collar?" Echo asked but her smile quickly fell as she watched Raven dejectedly shake her head.

Griffin nibbled at his own piece of food and looked at Raven with puppy dog eyes. She couldn't help but smile at him, seeing how badly he wanted to say something so she leaned in toward him and whispered.

"Hey guess what?"

Griffin raised his brows glancing between her and his mom. Focusing his attention back on Raven he whispered, "What?"

Raven gave it a second for dramatic effect before saying "Dinosaurs."

Griffin's eyes went wide again and he gasped in excitement when she said the secret word. The one he chose. Everyone easily remembered that day. They had taught him the game in the morning before breakfast so they could have the whole day to practice and make sure he understood the rules. The week before, Harper had been teaching him about dinosaurs and how they lived on Earth billions of years before humans. They even had found a book in one of the rooms on their first arrival back to the Ring.

Griffin had become obsessed afterward and would pretend to be one, chasing Murphy down the halls and letting out roars of how he thought they sounded. So it made sense when he had chosen that word to be the secret word. They were actually all quite impressed, seeing how it could be a harder thing for someone to guess.

The boy looked to Echo eagerly and before she could even finish nodding her head toward their friend and giving permission he had leapt into Raven's arms. Raven let out a small laugh at the boy and wrapped her arms around him returning the hug.

"Aww, I missed you too little dude." She said as she adjusted his position so he was more comfortably sitting on her good leg. She noticed that he hadn't been collared like the rest of them and felt the tiniest bit grateful that they at least wouldn't subject a child to being shocked. But who knows what else they would do.

Echo gave another sweep of the room, "They're watching us. But there's something I need you to see, let's go get some water."

Raven moved Griffin to sit on her bed and they told him to stay put as Raven was first to get up and move toward the back of the room where the water was kept. After three seconds Echo stood and followed. Raven took watch as she faced forward, listening to Echo as she poured herself some water and placed something on the table.

"Monty said I need to insert it into any console connected to the transport ships primary server."

They then switched positions and as Echo turned to face forward Raven turned around to grab her own glass of water, looking down to see the USB drive. Raven picked it up and looked at it, immediately understanding.

"It's essentially a keylogger. Automatically installs and opens a back door to their surveillance system that only Monty can see." She explained. "It's brilliant. Too bad we can't get to the bridge without our heads exploding."

Echo thought a second, "What about Kane? Maybe he -"

Raven was quick to cut her off, "I saw him. He's with Diyoza." The thought still bugged her and made her wonder what they had on him to get him to side with her so easily.

"I don't know what happened to him in that bunker, but he's different." She finished taking a sip of her drink.

Echo gave her a look, "You haven't seen them Raven, they're all different."

After taking a moment to glance at the group who were starting to settle in she remembered something. "Murphy said you had someone inside their camp."

Raven gave a short nod and tilted her head toward a guy who was helping hand out some supplies to the defectors. Just looking at him Echo could tell he seemed different than the other prisoners, but she knew better than anyone that looks could be deceiving. She was a spy after all, it was her job to deceive.

"Can we trust him?" She asked with which Raven only responded with "I hope so. He's our only shot."

Raven then set down her glass and walked off toward him. Echo watched as she tried talking with him but he muttered something to her before walking away to finish handing out blankets.

Echo moved to refill her water glass and bring Griffin some when Kane walked in, all eyes on him as he spoke.

"I have some unfortunate news. Karina's dead."

Echo looked down a moment, wishing she could've done something more to help, but knew she couldn't dwell on it and that there was a bigger task at hand she needed to focus on.

"She was Louwoda Kliron Kru, so the rites will be performed this afternoon." He took a moment to look around at his fellow people.

"Together we can make sure that her death will not be in vain." He told them before taking his leave.

Echo walked back over to Griffin and Raven when their 'inside guy' walked past Raven and tossed a bundle at her. When she took it she noticed there was a note hidden inside and saw the words: Don't go to the funeral written on it.

Hours passed as they sat around, waiting for anything to happen. Raven had told Echo of what was going on around here before her arrival and more about what he's done to help them so far. Eventually Kane came back to collect everyone for the funeral, telling them that their collars would be reassigned to the area the funeral would be in. Echo asked Raven if Griffin could stay with her so she wouldn't have to worry as much about him. She agreed within a heartbeat and put a comforting hand on his shoulder as Echo left with the rest of them.

Kane looked to her with raised brows and she simply shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not very good with funerals. We've had a few too many don't you think? Besides I didn't even know her, wouldn't make much sense for me to be there."

He understood and told her she'd have to stay here which she accepted. She did some casual chatting with Griffin and before too long the guy from earlier, Shaw, had walked in.

"Stay right here on my bed ok? I mean it." She told Griffin and he just nodded clutching his bear as she stood up and met him halfway.

As they talked, the funeral happened not too far away in an open clearing. Wood had been stacked into a pyre and Karina's covered body had been neatly laid on top. No one knew exactly the tradition's Shallow Valley had for their own, so instead Kane said some words of his own. Talking about how kind she was to others in the bunker. Afterward he offered a chance for anyone else to say some words.

When all was done they lit the pyre on fire and watched as it went ablaze. Together in unison they all said "Yu gonplei ste odon." Your fight is over.

Once it was over, Diyoza appeared and picked a few out of the crowd to begin the interviews inside a makeshift gazebo next to the church they were staying in. Echo had been one of them and stood aside waiting her turn. It had only taken about twenty or so minutes before it was her turn. Taking a seat she looked between Diyoza who was standing and Kane who had been seated across from her.

"Kane tells me your name is Echo." She started, waiting for Echo to nod in confirmation before asking, "So tell me, why did you choose to defect?"

"I didn't defect. I fled." Echo explained as Diyoza came around and took her seat next to Kane.

"I'm not Wonkru, but you already knew that." Echo came to realize as she glanced at Kane who no doubt told her everything he knew about her as well as the others. She needed to be careful with what she said.

Kane leaned forward with interest, "So you survived in space with Bellamy and the others."

"Yes" She confirmed. "But now that we're back, Octavia's banishment still stands."

"I'm surprised she let you live." Kane said folding his arms. He easily remembered the times she had stood against them and threatened to kill him and Skaikru.

"As you saw she almost didn't." Echo supplied referring to the unfortunate ones that didn't get to the ship in time.

"Octavia's taken everything from me. My clan no longer exists. I'm coming to you for safe harbor because I have nowhere else to go."

"And what about the boy? The one who has barely left your side since your arrival?" Diyoza asked watching her closely. Kane also paid close attention as his interest was piqued. He knew the boy wasn't Wonkru, so being in space with them was the only other option he could come up with. His biggest question also being who he belonged to although he had his suspicions.

"It surely seems one of you got busy up in space. I would've guessed Raven, but with her attitude she didn't seem the motherly type. Perhaps he belongs to one of the others.."

Echo froze as she thought of anything to say that would continue to protect him and keep him from being used as any kind of leverage against them. "He's just a little kid that has no right to be involved in a war. Comparing sides this seems like the safer option for him versus out there near Octavia's wrath. I'm just keeping him safe."

Diyoza had an intriguing smile on her face before choosing to move on and gave a sympathetic nod to her. "Your story is our story, Echo. So, how can you be useful in my camp?"

"I'm a spy." She recovered and replied with a smile, but after seeing no change in Diyoza's expression her smile tightened before letting it fall. "You knew that too.."

"MmHmm. And an honest spy is either incompetent or working an angle. Which are you?"

Echo opened her mouth to speak again but Diyoza cut her off "Time will tell. Thank you Echo."

Diyoza stood again watching Echo leave the gazebo and be escorted back inside the church. Once she was back at her bed, she looked to see Griffin had finally gone to sleep. She tucked him in as gently as she could and put an extra blanket around him. She began to think of ways she could get them an advantage inside the camp that would get them back to the ship. But the only successful way she could think of would be outing Shaw.

Needing a second opinion she pulled Raven aside to tell her her thoughts.

"No way, Shaw's an ally." Raven argued.

"There are times in war where you have to do the wrong things for the right reasons. This is one of those times." Echo quietly argued back. She didn't like the idea either, but in her mind he wasn't Spacekru and was therefore more expendable than either of them. "Besides you said yourself earlier they can't kill him because they need him to fly."

"We are not betraying the one friend we have here." Raven told her firmly. "He'll get me to the bridge. I just need more time."

Echo wanted to trust in her, but they were sitting ducks and waiting this long wasn't a game they could afford to play. She had a mission and she would see it through.

Getting comfortable she laid down next to Griffin and stared at the ceiling. Mulling the two options over again as everyone else eventually laid down and went to sleep. Once she was sure Raven was asleep as well she slowly sat up, as not to disturb her son, and moved toward the front door.

She peeked out to see one of the guards get up, a look on his face daring her to try anything. In a hushed voice she told them she needed to speak with Diyoza. After a moment of doubt he told her to stay put before walking off to go get the Colonel. Echo glanced back at Raven one more time to make sure the girl stayed asleep and was thankful that she didn't have to wait long. Seeing Diyoza walk up she carefully walked out and gently closed the door behind her.

Diyoza thanked the guard and had him wait outside so she could speak privately. Once she was sure they were alone she turned to Echo, "What's so important?"

Echo braced herself for the damage she was about to inflict, reminding herself of the bigger purpose as her facial expression turned cold. "You said you couldn't trust a spy. Does that mean even if my information is good and could help me get out of this collar?"

"Trust can be earned." Diyoza was quick to say, a small smile showing.

It was now or never. "I've been here a day, and already I know there's a traitor in your camp."

"Your pilot."