Allies and Enemies Part I: The Joining

by Lyta


Disclaimer:  Earth: Final Conflict and its characters are copyrighted by Tribune Entertainment Company.  All rights reserved.  No part of this story may be re-posted in part or in full without written permission from the author.



Author's Note:  What if Boone never met with the Resistance in "Decision"? How might that affect the events following and during "The Joining"? (summary of story)



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Commander William Boone watched stoically as Ha'gel's energy dissipated into the void, then pulled out his global to inform his Taelon masters of what had just occurred. Out of the corner of his eye, Boone saw the glint of light on the barrel of a gun pointed directly at him and instinctively fired his skrill at the shadow behind the gun. He heard the weapon clatter uselessly to the floor and approached close enough to see Captain Lili Marquette lying prone and barely breathing on the ground. Boone completed his call: informing both Da'an and Zo'or that the threat posed by Ha'gel was over, revealing Marquette's treachery and requesting medical assistance for Lt. Beckett and that preparations be made to detain and interrogate Marquette.

     After the call, Boone closed his global and went over to Beckett. The Irish implant was breathing, but her pulse was racing. Ten minutes later, after Beckett had been taken to the Mothership for treatment and Marquette had been taken to a holding cell, a decidedly run down looking Sandoval entered St. Michael's Church. Boone noticed the bits of rubble and the smell clinging to his clothes, but was more concerned with the unexpected discovery that had fallen into their laps courtesy of Ha'gel. The two implants watched emotionlessly as the entrance to the Liberation Hideout was slowly forced open.

***

 Jonathan Doors was in the middle of a frenzy of activity. He helped Augur pull computers and other equipment out of the walls and load it onto laundry carts appropriated to take the items out via the underground tunnels. They could not risk anyone being able to piece together even fragments of the resistance files. Even destroying them was too uncertain.

"How long until they get through?" Doors asked a Resistance member.   "Three or four hours based on their current progress with our booby traps."

Doors nodded, satisfied. They should be out of here in forty-five minutes and leave a few more surprises for the Taelon's human servants. Jonathan Doors was thankful Augur had insisted that the equipment in the facility be designed with movement in mind.

***

Beckett lay on the medical bed on the Mothership, with three Taelon scientists hovering worriedly over her. Even as they continued to examine her, the Synod was engaged in heated debate over her fate and that of her still unborn child.

"It should be destroyed at birth!" The Companion to South America said fiercely.

"It is not even born yet." Da'an pointed out. "Why do you fear this being?"   "I do not fear the child." The Companion huffed indignantly.

"There is much we do not know about the Kimera that could aid us in our struggle with the Jaridians." Another Synod member suggested.

"I believe that we should observe the child." Zo'or said. "Our own efforts to create hybrids have failed to yield a single live offspring, but Ha'gel has succeeded with ease. After all," Zo'or continued with a smirk, "we can always rid ourselves of the child with ease should the it prove to be a threat to us."

"Enough." Quo'on said firmly. "It is pointless to debate this when the object of our discussion is yet unborn. Zo'or is correct: we have sought to create a hybrid in the hopes that such a being might possess the shaquarava. Now such an individual has been introduced into our midst. I will not allow this opportunity to be wasted."

Zo'or's smirk brightened. "That Ha'gel would aid us in our endeavor is as the humans put it 'poetic justice.'"