Waterfowl asked: Just a thought occurred: what IF Scott was never retrieved from Bereznik and Jeff agreed to Hood's initial plan to produce and use Thunderbirds technology as weapons - for war, not rescue and recovery...

'Are we all ready?'

Five heads nodded and smiled grimly.

The group were all dressed in black, up to and including helmets, and had gathered in the lounge on Tracy Island.

John – only present in holographic form as he had the mission to run – was next to speak.

'Father, the message has been delivered. The town of Gorlitz has been given a continuous 12-hour warning in English, German, Polish and Bereznikian and told where to meet if they want to be saved.'

'Secure channel?'

'Yes, Sir. The Berezniki Government has been trying to find the source and stop us, but they have been unsuccessful. You are good to go.'

'Thank you, John. Belah – are you ready?'

'Yes, Jeff.'

'Let's run through the plan one last time.'

There were nods all around.

It was time that the war was stopped. The World Government had tried for years and nothing. The GDF had tried without getting involved and got nowhere. Six years now the civil war had been raging. Three years ago Scott had been shot down, declared MIA for four months then KIA.

And still people were dying.

And Jeff had had enough.

The rescue company he'd decided to set up was put on hold. The ships…the ships would now rescue those innocents the war was slaughtering and holding the nation to account for those slain.

One and Two were the only ships ready, besides Five of course. Brains had applied a special stealth technology to the two ships that rendered them invisible both to radar and to the naked eye. Lee would fly Two with Jeff and Virgil to assist in evacuating the city and then Belah would fly One and raze the place to the ground.

'Are we all clear on the plan?'

'Yes.'

'Then Thunderbirds Are Go!'

There was a small gathering in the designated fields outside Gorlitz. It was a town that before the war had held almost 90,000 people. These days there were less than half that amount. And as the town nearest the POW camp John had suggested that this would be the ideal first target for the 'Birds. The others agreed.

Two had been gutted to take the maximum amount of bodies possible, but there were far less people there than they had hoped. There were some, though, so Lee landed the bird and the hatch opened and Jeff and Virgil began helping people into Two.

'Speed it up, Dad. I have six jets incoming.'

'FAB, John. Belah – can you buy us some time?'

'I got you, Jeff.'

They may not be able to see One, but they could hear her scream overhead. The distant sounds of gunfire had those on the ground screaming and the people surged forward to get into Two, Virgil's pleading for calm and order falling on deaf ears.

Virgil had just taken hold of a two-year-old girl from her mother. The girl was crying and clung to his neck as he reached down to take the boy from the woman. He turned just as the father tenderly kissed his wife and lifted her up for Jeff to take before turning and running back towards the town.

Jeff took the woman and steadied her before turning back to the man. He got the barest of glances as he turned and left.

But that glance was enough.

Blue eyes and dimples he'd known all his life had flashed at the woman and Jeff had frozen.

But then the man was gone and Two was taking off.

Jeff yelled into his comm as he legged it to the cockpit.

'BELAH! ABORT! ABORT! ABORT!'

'What the hell, Jeff? I am not aborting!'

'JOHN – STOP ONE! STOP HIM NOW!'

'One is slaved, I have control. What the hell is going on, Dad?'

'THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO KNOW, JEFF!'

'I saw him, he ran back to the town.'

'Saw who, Dad?'

'Scott. I saw Scott.'