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Loss And Gain-Part Three

by Jade

Disclaimer:  Earth: Final Conflict and its characters are copyrighted by Tribune Entertainment Company.  All rights reserved.



**********



Augur reclined on the sunburn colored couch, his feet propped up on the overpadded arm. The words of the news anchor on the TV vaguely registered in his mind.

"..Mr. Tyvsusky is now alive and well, living with his wife and child in Nantucket. Now, coming up right after break; there has been an arrest on the Mothership," Augur bolted upright, "We'll have the details when we return."

"Liana!" he scrambled off of the sofa, falling over his own feet in the process, "Liana, get in here!""What, what?" the girl's dirty-brown hair flew like a halo around her head as she dashed in. "Look," Augur panted, pointing at the screen, "Just look."

The commercials were ending, and the face of the female anchor appeared once again. "Welcome back, you're watching Channel 6 News..." Liana's eyes narrowed to slits, as if she guessed what was coming, "...the arrest of Renee Palmer, CEO of Doors International, has sent shockwaves throughout the nation..."

Augur heard a sharp intake of breath from beside him, "...the charges are that Ms. Palmer has indulged in business with the Resistance. Questions about these accusations have been raised...."

"SH*T!" Liana swore, "SH*T, SH*T, SH*T!" Augur looked over at her. "We've got to her out of there." "Da'an told," Liana's voice was even now, a deceiving calm, "That bastard told." She shook her head. "Okay, HOW are we gonna get up there?" "I...I don't know." "There has to be SOME way," Liana started pacing back and forth. She paused, looked at Augur skeptically, "You don't know how to drive a shuttle, do you?" Augur felt himself blanch, "No, and I don't ever intend to, thank you very much."

Liana bit her lip. "Is it safe to contact Kincaid?" Augur thought for a moment. "Maybe," he opened his global and entered Liam's number. A second later, Liam's faceappeared on his screen.

"Liam?"

"Augur. I was about to call you."

"Is Renee...?"

"I don't know Augur. They took her to a holding cell."

"Damn it, tell Da'an that-"

"Augur. Da'an didn't tell."

"What?"

"Da'an didn't tell."

It took Augur I while to process that information. "But if Da'an didn't then...." his mind rapidly eliminated possibilities until it came down to one thing. He stared at Liana. "What the HELL do you two think you're thinking?" the girl exploded. "What, you're thinking I called up the Taelons and said, 'Hello, please kick butt on Renee Palmer?' Give me that!"

She snatched the global from Augur. "Kincaid, if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, you are absolutely nuts." "I don't think so, Verdyana," Augur heard Liam say coldly as he leaned over Liana's shoulder, "There's no one else who could have told but you."

"Right, sure. And what would have telling gotten me?" "Money," Liam said simply. Augur felt his friend's words nurture the seeds of doubt already in his mind. "Money, right sure. What the hell is money going to get me? I'm on the top ten in every store there is, if I walk in with a hundred bucks, they're STILL gonna arrest me. Besides, haven't you even considered that Zo'or isn't as stupid as he looks? The guy's got a computer with all the info he needs in front of him, that plus spies all around this freaking world. He's able to put two and two together, Kincaid."

Augur could see that Liam had weakened under Liana's torrent of logic. The girl seemed genuinely shocked and furious that they suspected her. Maybe even hurt. "Listen, Augur and I need to get up there. You can't get Renee out alone. We've got to do it before they torture her." "But-" "Listen Kincaid, if you really want to help her, you'll get your ass down here and pilot us back up to the Mothership with you!"

Liana shoved the global shut. She tossed the communication device back to Augur. He stared at her, now almost completely convinced she hadn't betrayed anyone.

"You wanted a shuttle, you got a shuttle."

****

Renee turned sharply, the concentration on picking her cuffs shattered when she heard one of the confinement shields come down.

Sandoval.

He stopped, punched in something on his global, and Renee saw another wave as the second one was deactivated. "What the hell are you doing?" "There's no time to explain, you have to get out of here." "Gee, I think that thought's crossed my mind a few times," she said sarcastically, her brain screaming TRAP, TRAP, TRAP.

Sandoval brought down the last energy wall. "Come on." "I don't think so," she said, not moving, "If you want to torture me, you can bring the stuff in here, but I'm not going to be walking with you."

"This isn't a trap," the Implant insisted, "We have to get out NOW." Renee looked past Sandoval's shoulder as she heard footsteps and voices. "Let's go," he said, lunging forward and grabbing her arm. She pulled away and launched a kick at his stomach that sent him flying a few feet.

"I'm saving your life, you idiot," he gasped out. Too late. The voices and footsteps materialized into two women and a man walking towards her. One of them, a brunette, had a scar running down the side of her face. She stopped, pressed something in her global, and waited.

The energy shield didn't fizz, and the Volunteer knew something was wrong. Her eyes came to rest on Sandoval, who was just getting up. "What do you think you doing?" Scar shouted. "Agent Sandoval, you are under arrest." Scar cocked her head, and the other female Volunteer advanced on the Asian man and pushed a firearm into the small of his back. The woman slapped cuffs around Sandoval's wrists, then started to pull him away.

"Run!" he screamed at Renee, "Run!" Renee darted forward, but Scar managed to get in her way, clutching her arm painfully. Sandoval fought and struggled, but the second woman was powerfully built and suceeded in propelling him out of sight.

The Scar woman and the male Volunteer grabbed either one of her cuffed arms. Renee struggled and kicked and swore, but she had two people with guns on either side of her, pulling her, and she had no choice but to go forward.

Renee didn't know what kind of torture they would inflict on her, butshe swore to herself she wouldn't say a word. A small flicker of dread rooted itself in her heart and grew. She was going to experience pain beyond her worst nightmares.

****

Liam's blood froze and he stopped dead in his tracks as he heard a scream sound from somewhere aboard the ship.

Renee.

He raced blindly to the cell she was being held in, his heart pounding in his ears.

The cell was empty.

Oh God. Oh God. He had to get to her NOW. Are you insane? You'll be killed too. They're going to make her talk, I have to help her. She's strong, she'll keep her mouth shut, look to your own survival! She's hurting! You won't do her any good if you bust in there! Oh God, Renee! Get to Liana and Augur, now!

Logic overcame his emotions, and he sprinted to Da'an's shuttle. Volunteers and rooms flashed by, he almost knocked over some technicians. He didn't care. Liana. Augur. Renee needed them. He noted that he was passing Da'an's chamber... "Liam!" He bowled right into the Taelon; they both fell to the floor in a heap. "Da'an!" he gasped out, "I'm sorry, I have to go now, I'll be back." He stumbled to his feet and started running again...

"Liam," a bit winded but otherwise determined Da'an put a restraining hand on his arm, "Did you hear-" "Yes, I know, they're torturing her now!" he hissed, channeling his voice so that only Da'an could hear. "I have to get Augur and Liana up here." Da'an drew back. "You cannot bring Verdyana to the Mothership!" "I have to. I'm sorry. I won't let her harm you, I swear."

Liam shook the Taelon's hand off of his arm, and had darted a few feet down the corridor before he turned back. "Da'an," he said quietly, "don't do anything stupid!"

He took off, feverently hoping Da'an would listen to that advice.

****

"He says he's coming," Augur called to Liana. "Good," the girl said, not turning around. Sparks flew as she sharpened her knife on a stone she had found outside. "Ah," Augur leaned over, watching as Liana expertly struck the metal blade against the rock, "You're not actually planning to USE that, are you?"

"A gun is much more efficient," she answered without looking up, "But if I have to use this, yes.""You sure you know HOW to use that?" Liana twisted her head around to look at him this time. "What do you think?" Augur felt an involuntary shiver run up his spine. He wasn't going to ask her that again, otherwise she might get so annoyed she'd offer a live demonstration.

His global beeped. He snapped it open. "Augur. I've landed. Just outside of the old building that going to be demolished." "We're on our way," Augur cut the link. Liana had already slipped the knife into a sheath attached to her boot and was standing in the doorway. "Come ON." Augur swept up his own weapon and ran after her.

They ran along the sidewalks, across roads, through yards. Liana was behind him, but Augur was sure she would have kept up with him had she known the way. "I'm turning right," he called over his shoulder. He altered course and ran a few feet before glancing behind him. Liana was still with him.

Cramps were starting in his side now, perspiration trickled down his bald head and onto his back. His legs felt like they were going to give way under him, but he kept going. Liana doesn't look like she's ready to collapse, he thought resentfully. And then, up ahead, he saw the purplish tint of the shuttle. Liana apparently saw it too, because she speeded up and ran ahead of him. "Hey!" he shouted, indigant that he was being outdistanced by a teenager.

A brick wall blocked his view of both the shuttle and Liana. A second later he'd cleared that alley and saw the girl practically diving into the shuttle. He reached it a few seconds later. "Liam," he gasped out, "I hope you know what you're doing." He took the hand his friend offered and pulled himself aboard.

"Strap in!" Liam called back as he powered up the shuttle. Liana had already pulled the crash restraints around herself. Augur barely had time to seat himself before the shuttle bucked violently and took off into the air.

"They're already torturing Renee," Liam said grimly as his hand moved across the screen, punching in coordinates. "What?" Liana yelped, and for a moment Augur thought she might take over piloting herself. "When? What happened?" "I don't know. But we have to get to her soon."

"If I find one bloody mark on her I swear to God..." Liana let the sentence hang. It was just as well, Augur didn't want to know what she would do.

"Hang on," Liam said through gritted teeth. There was a tearing sound as the shuttle went interdimensional.

****

Da'an yelped in alarm as something grabbed his shoulder and dragged him around the corner. "Liam!" he gasped out, recognizing his Protector after a moment of near-hysteria. He collapsed onto the Human, "Please do not startle me like that."

"What the hell were you doing?" Liam whispered, his eyes searching the hallway behind them, alert for any intruders. "I was going to release Renee Palmer, Liam, now-" Da'an tried to pull away, but Liam only tightened his grip. "Well, that explains why you're so paranoid. Didn't I tell you not to do anything stupid?" "Yes, that is what you told me Liam. If I remember correctly, though, I am your employer, and not the other way around." Liam laughed softly. "Alright, alright. But this isn't something you should be doing." "Why not?" "Well...wouldn't it count as treason?" Da'an cast his eyes downward. "Yes," he said quietly. "I spent many hours debating with myself. And in the end, I knew that to allow Renee Palmer to continue to be confined would be betraying you."

Liam blinked. "Wait a minute. Are you saying...?" Da'an smiled sadly. "Yes Liam. In this matter, if I had to choose between you or the Synod..." he let his voice trail off, he didn't need to complete the sentence. "But ONLY in this matter," he said pointedly, "If the situation had been much more serious-"

Liam nodded. "I know. Thank you. This means a great deal to me. But in any case, you're going to have to let us take over busting Renee out, because Zo'or has called a meeting. There's been sabotage afoot on this ship, and no one's able to stop the countdown."

"Countdown?"

"The ship's gonna explode if you don't do something."

Da'an drew back a bit. "And who sabotaged the ship?"

Liam smiled grimly, shaking his head. "You're not going to believe this, it was Sandoval."

Da'an felt his eyes widen. "What?" he gasped. "Yep. Agent Sandoval. You better go now. Zo'or wants everybody present."

Da'an nodded. "If you are going to free Ms. Palmer you must have my access codes." He told him the combination of letters and numbers and made him repeat it three times.

"Are you sure you have it memorized?" "Yes. Go on, I'll take care of everything." Da'an nodded. "I wish you luck." He hurried down the hallway, towards the bridge. He gave Liam one last glance when he realized this might be the last time he saw his friend alive.

"Oh, and Liam," he turned sharply. "Don't do anything stupid."

He smiled. "I won't," he promised. Da'an turned his back and walked quickly towards the bridge.

****

Liam continued down the corridor he had pulled Da'an from, repeating the code over and over again in his mind. "Major Kincaid!" A Volunteer caught up with him, "Major, Zo'or requests your presence at the meeting."

Oh, SHIT.

"I'll be there shortly," he said. The Volunteer gave a curt nod, saluted, and left. DAMN IT! He threw open his global and entered Augur's number. "Augur?" "Yeah, I'm here." "Look, that sabotage Sandoval did? Zo'or wants me at the meeting to discuss it too."

"Damn it!"

"Can you get out of the docking bay?"

"I can't Liam, there are guards sixteen ways from the center." Liam swore some more. "Wait...Liana's loose." Liam frowned. Liana loose on the Mothership wasn't something he took a fancy too. "I can't contact her!" "I can," Augur told him, "I-" his friend looked paranoidly over his shoulder and ducked down. Through the global, Liam thought he could pick up footsteps passing by the shuttle Augur was hiding in.

His friend's face appeared on the screen, a little more wary now. "I said, I gave her a way to communicate with me." "A global? Where did you get a spare global?" "No, not a global," Augur said patiently, as if Liam was the moron of the universe, "If they caught her with a global they could go through the message dialogue. No, I gave her a walkie-talkie."

"A walkie-talkie?" Liam laughed. Augur seemed to shrug, "Hey, it works."

"Okay, tell her what happened and give her the access codes..." Liam recited it for Augur. There was no time to make sure he had it down packed, he just had to trust his memory. "I've gotta go now."

"Alright. Be careful, Liam."

"I will." He closed the global and headed for the bridge.

****

Renee cried out in pain as her captors threw her to the ground hard. She was aware of a pool of blood forming rapidly on the ground beneath her, but she noticed it in a sort of distant, detached way.

Oh God. The things they had done to her... the flesh of her face felt raw, yet it hurt, she couldn't move her arm without screaming. Pain. So much pain. She felt her mind slipping back into the madness, withdrawing into herself. Had the shields gone up again? She didn't know. Suddenly, she laughed. I'm dead, she thought. And this must be hell. A reddish tint blurred everything she saw....objects were getting wavy, like they were moving. The dull pain was always there, tormenting her, making her scream out every few minutes.

She didn't know how long she lay there, on her side, alternatively swearing and sobbing. But she was partially brought back to sanity when she saw a slim, ragged figure slip into her unfocused field of vision. The apparition brought down two of the shields, then stopped short when she saw her.

"Renee....oh my God Renee, what have they done to you?"

She knew the figure then. Liana. Liana, she was the one who had told. Yes, this was all her fault. She would kill her for this. For the pain she was going through. Yes, it was all her...kill....she backed into a corner, crouching, ready to attack.

"Renee, look at me. It's Liana. I'm coming in. I'm not going to hurt you, okay?"

The last energy wall came down, and Renee felt her legs tense up to spring....

****

Liana wanted to vomit. She wanted to go and rip out the throats of whoever had done this to Renee.

The woman's blonde hair was matted with blood, a long, bloody gash ran across her face, splitting her lip. One arm was twisted at a gruesome angle, more blood ran down her leg, which had been burnt and almost split open.

Renee was crawling away from her, into a corner. Delirious. Afraid.

"Renee, look at me. It's Liana. I'm coming in. I'm not going to hurt you, okay?"

She quickly pressed the right buttons in the wall and the confinement shield dropped. Renee wasn't herself; her mind was addled by pain. She had to be careful.

"Renee?" she said cautiously, moving slowly, unhurriedly towards her. "Renee, I'm here to help you. Renee, this is Liana, if you can hear me, nod your head." There was no response from the wretched, bloody form in the corner, except to glare hatefully at her.

"Renee-" Liana took several steps closer.

And with a scream that was more rage than pain, Renee launched herself towards her. Liana let herself collapse under the older woman's tackle. She couldn't fight, or she'd hurt her more. She tried to relax as Renee's fingernails dug into her bare shoulders. Suddenly, she wriggled her body in a wave-like movement, escaping effortlessly from beneath Renee's body. Blood stained her ragged shirt, some from Renee's wounds, the rest from her own blood that was flowing freely down from the gashes Renee had made.

Liana held up her hands and spoke in a calm, soothing voice. "Renee. It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you. Stop it or you'll hurt yourself." Renee shrieked again, and stumbled towards her. Liana eluded her disoriented charge easily.

The woman couldn't stop her momentum, she slammed right into the rough wall of the cell. She reeled back in pain, blood spraying from her body and dotting the air. Her broken arm cracked again, Liana winced. Renee collapsed to her knees and cried, the salty tears no doubt stinging the gash in her face.

The water from her eyes fell to the floor mixed with blood. "I trusted you!" she shouted at her, "I trusted you! Damn you! Why did you have to go and tell? I TRUSTED YOU!"

Liana felt a pang. Apparently, Renee had come to the same conclusions Kincaid had. "Renee," she said softly, "Listen to me. Please. I didn't tell. Zo'or did his own research." She moved closer with each word. "Renee. I would never tell. I know what kind of things Taelons do to prisoners. I would never do that to you, understand me?"

A distant part of her heart sighed in relief as she finally admitted to herself that she cared for Renee Palmer. Loved her like a sister. Loved her as she had loved Reklae. Liana knelt down beside Renee's weeping form and carefully began wiping away the blood that stained her eyes.

****

"...all beings must evacuate the Mothership immediately," the technician was saying, "the ship itself will be protected by the layer of virtual glass we have put over its interior and vital components. The explosion will be contained within the ship. You have three hours to clear out."

Zo'or nodded and took the stage. "We will regroup at the Embassy on Earth. That is all." There was a murmuring and rustling of bodies before the center area of the bridge cleared. Zo'or looked up, gathering his courage.

"Da'an," the older Taelon stopped and turned, his face betraying no emotion, "I...I trust you are feeling better." "I am," Da'an responded with a graceful inclination of his head, "Thank you Zo'or, for your concern."

Was it just him, or did he detect sarcasm laced along his words?

"I...I am concerned for your well being," he started hesitantly. Da'an's eyes seemed to soften a bit. "Thank you." "I was also extremely worried while you were missing," he gushed, getting the words out while he had the nerve to.

A smile touched Da'an's lips. "I was also concerned for you while I was not here to watch over you, Zo'or."

To watch over me. The words made him want to stiffen and smile at the same time.

"What will you do with Agent Sandoval?" Da'an asked, moving closer to stand beside him. "Leave him to the explosion, I suppose. I am sure he will appreciate the irony. His own sabotage will destroy him." "Are you sure that is right?" "It is no more than he deserves," Zo'or said, feeling himself harden. "Just as it was with Captain Marquette."

Da'an nodded. "Of course," his parent drew away from him. "I will leave you to your duties Zo'or." He walked off of the bridge. Zo'or was alone once again.

****

"Shhh. It's okay. It's okay." Renee heard the words as if through a gauze veil. Her tears dripped into the bloody canyon that slashed across her face, making her whimper in pain. She felt her head being cradled in Liana's arms.

She hadn't told. She hadn't told.

"Renee?" Liana said with surprising gentleness, "Listen, the ship's gonna blow in a few hours. We have to get back to Liam and Augur soon. Can you walk? Are you up to it?"

She tried to answer, but her throat was so parched and dry it hurt.

Liana sighed. "Are you even conscious?" Another sigh. Then, "Did I ever tell you what my sister told me?" she began in a rhythmic, singsong voice, "Reklae used to have her own room. Her own bed. In that room was stuff she kept. 'Junk', she called it. But I could tell by the way her eyes misted over when she talked about them she had loved them terribly.

"I started calling them her Chest of Treasures, cause that's what they were to her. In there, she said she had a wooden instrument like a flute called a recorder, some recorder music books, a diamond pendant, the wrapping paper of her first Christmas present, a brush, and two marbled stones that had been worn smooth by the water of the creek she had found them in."

Renee slowly relaxed as she pictured these treasures, these objects that symbolized memories of a child, things that a young girl had gently run her fingers over many times.

"I wanted to see them so much, this Chest of Treasures was like a tale from another world to me. A world I had once lived in, but had been too young to remember. A world Reklae remembered in painful detail and wanted to return to."

There was a ripping sound, and Renee felt a rough piece of fabric pressed against her split-open leg. Too close to the burn. She drew in her breath through clenched teeth.

"Sorry," Liana whispered, "Sorry."

Renee shifted her good arm and instinctively pulled closer to the comfort of another Human Being.

"When I look at you, I swear you have to have those treasures," Liana murmured, gently wiping the blood that smeared her face, "Because you look exactly like Reklae. Every detail. That was how I knew to bug you. When I saw you, I thought my sister had come back to life."

Perhaps she has, Renee thought. She licked her cut and bleeding lips, winced, and tried to speak again. "I....I didn't tell them anything...." "Renee! You could've told them anything you wanted to....anything they needed to know... so they wouldn't hurt you anymore."

"Did you say-" Renee felt her body racked in a violent spasm of coughing. She felt Liana's arms tighten and pull her closer, "Did you say the ship's gonna blow?" She could almost hear the gently mocking smile from Liana. "Yes. Do you want to get out of here?" "Yeah," she whispered hoarsely. "Alright. I'm going to help you get up now..." Liana gently set her head down onto the floor. Renee opened her eyes; the glare almost blinded her. She squeezed them shut again. Liana slipped her hand into her own.

"Okay now. Careful. Easy. A little bit at a time. Just a bit at a time...."

"What if we run into someone?" Renee asked, struggling to keep her swollen eyes open as she limped along. Liana fingered the firearm she held ready in her hand. "Then we give them hell." "Easy for you to say," Renee grumbled, feeling some strength and her old sarcasm coming back, "I've been through hell just now, and I can tell you being shot with a gun would have been mercy." Liana shot her a guilty look. "Are you sure you're alright?" "I'm fine," she said, then cried out as the slit in her leg opened a bit more. Liana snorted. "Right, sure." "Let's just get to the shuttle bay, alright?" she said through gritted teeth. Liana winced slightly as the bloody welts Renee had left in her shoulders brushed against the wall. Renee felt her own start of guilt and reminded herself to get some ointment on those things as soon as possible. "Okay, tell me, who sabotaged the ship?"

"Sandoval."

Renee felt her feet come to a stop. "WHAT?"

"Sandoval. I know, amazing isn't it?"

"Then it wasn't a trap...oh my God, he was trying to-" "What?" Liana asked sharply, "He was trying to what?" Renee explained the whole thing with Sandoval trying to bust her out of the cell. "We have to get him out of there," she finished, "I don't think Zo'or is going to be tender-hearted enough to get him safely away on a shuttle." "Why don't we just leave him there? I don't like him," Liana said sourly. "Alright, okay, I'm getting Augur."

She slipped her hand inside her pocket and withdrew-

A walkie-talkie? Renee almost laughed, but the gash splitting her lips made every word she uttered an ordeal, not to mention laughing.

"You're gonna contact him on that?" "Yeah, he's got one too. He should answer," she flicked the black antique on, "If he's still alive," she added. "Oh thanks, that cheers me up." "Always here for you Renee....Augur? Augur this is Liana, come in." "Liana?" Renee could make out Augur's words through the messy crackling of static. Liana held the walkie-talkie up to her ear as she ran down the empty hallways, Renee hobbling along after her and cursing her leg. "Do you have Renee?" "I got her out...but she's in bad shape."

"How bad?" Augur asked apprehensively.

"She's alive and she knows me...now she does, anyway. She can run; she's with me right now; we're heading for the shuttle bay. Listen, Augur, something's come up..." she quickly explained the whole Sandoval situation to the computer hacker.

"Liam should be on his way. I'll make sure he gets this." "Thanks. We'll be in the bay soon." "Alright, be careful." "Uh-huh," Liana thumbed off the connection.

Renee's brow furrowed. Sandoval had tried to save her life, and even though she didn't really like him she knew they had to get him to safety. She could only hope Liam could pull it off.....

****

"Sandoval WHAT?" "Liana said that Renee said that Sandoval tried to get her out earlier....before she was...you know." Augur's reluctance to say the word alarmed Liam. "Did you see Renee? What did they put her through?" "I didn't SEE Renee...but Liana sounded sick when she said she's in bad shape, so I figured I'd better get my barf bag ready."

Liana sounding sick....Liam shuddered. Renee must be half-dead, then.

"Listen, Renee really, really wants you to get Sandoval out of there." Liam groaned. "Great...this whole thing could be a trap, you know." "Yeah...but Liana said Renee knew he meant it." "Renee DOES have good people instincts," Liam muttered half-heartedly. He sighed, "And he's my father. Yeah. Okay. But Augur? If I don't make it back within two hours, take off. I left instructions in the computer on board. Or let Renee drive, if she's fit enough." "Yeah, well, we aren't going to have to do that because you WILL make it back," Augur said with conviction. "I can't promise you that Augur. Remember: two hours. If I'm not back by then, GO."

Liam shut the global. Two hours. He had two hours to do this. It was more then enough time. So it seemed.

He stopped a Volunteer who was rushing down the hallway, "Where is Agent Sandoval being held?" "The A-cell areas. Major." the Implant tacked on his title hastily before rushing onward to run whatever errand he had.

The A-cell areas. Damn it, that was almost at the other end of the ship!

Liam spun on his heel and sprinted against the traffic, barely avoiding Humans and Taelons alike as he darted through the halls. "Damn it, damn it," he muttered, "How long did they make this ship?" He finally spotted an alcove-like opening to his right. It grew larger until he was in front of it. Letters on one side of the wall announced it was where the A-cells were. Liam ran his ID through a slot and the energy shield deactivated to let him through. All of the cells were empty except for one.

"Sandoval?" he asked uncertainly of the man whose back was facing him. The prisoner whirled, and Liam saw it was indeed his biological father.

Sandoval opened his mouth, but Liam cut him off. "No time for questions," he said while punching in Da'an's codes, "I'm getting you out of here. The ship's going to blow, and Zo'or was just gonna leave you here to your own sabotage."

The first one came down, he proceeded to the second one. "Renee Palmer, she-" "I know," Liam said through gritted teeth, "We got her out." "She's alive?" "According to my friends, yes, but barely." Liam shot him an accusing look.

"I tried to get her out," Sandoval started, "but she wouldn't believe me. She thought it was a trap. God, have I really been such a monster?" Liam's fingers stopped in mild shock when he heard the last line, something Sandoval was saying more to himself than for him. The last shield shimmered and was gone. Liam ran forward and uncuffed Sandoval's hands.

"Did they hurt you?" "They gave me a few blows, nothing serious," Liam looked closer and saw painful looking bruises on Sandoval's face in the dim lighting, "It was nothing compared to what Palmer went through."

Did he hear guilt in his voice?

"Why'd you do it? Did your CVI break down or something?" Liam asked as he led Sandoval to the edge of the exit. Sandoval laughed bitterly. "My motivation imperative broke down long ago. But the Implant itself still had a grip on my brain, so I couldn't mix surviving with...well, with morality." Liam looked at him with a cocked eyebrow.

"Actually, it took several months just to get a good grip on the very CONCEPT." Liam nodded. "Yeah, well, looks like you've got a good grip now. Either that or you were insane, trying to get Renee out of there. Come on, it's clear." "Why are YOU doing this?" Sandoval asked, keeping his voice low as they jogged through the ship's twists and turns. Liam hesitated. "I'll tell you later."

He's going to find out soon enough, anyway, he thought, once he got onto the shuttle. There was no place to hide in the little craft, and Sandoval wouldn't just dismiss the fact that Augur was aboard. He'd put two and two together and then....

Well, at least they could control him and keep him restrained if he found out in the depths of ID space. If he found out while he was free aboard the Mothership with a fully functional skrill....there was no way Liam was going to risk that.

Sandoval didn't press him more, just simply followed him to the docking bay. "Which shuttle are we taking?" "Da'an's." "Da'an?" Sandoval almost gasped, "Are you sure that's wise?" "No. But I don't think Da'an is going to turn you in just like that."

"No, he'll wait a few hours to turn me in." "Don't worry, I have some information that may change his mind if he decides to squeal." "I hope it's good."

Liam looked at his father. Oh, it's good. It's very, very good.

"Up ahead. The shuttle's right there." Liam thought quickly. There were still guards 'sixteen ways from the center', as Augur had put it. "Act like you're being escorted by me. Put your hands behind you back, keep your head down," he hissed. Sandoval got in front of him and did as he was told.

"Okay, go." Sandoval ran forward, with Liam behind him, aiming his gun at his head. "I'm taking Agent Sandoval down to the Embassy," he explained to a guard that stopped them, "Under Zo'or's orders." The Volunteer glanced at Sandoval and nodded.

Liam had parked the shuttle in a far corner of the bay. "It's right in front of us," he whispered to Sandoval, who was still keeping up his act, "Jump in." Sandoval climbed up, and Liam scrambled in after him. His head almost collided with Augur's, who was also crouching down. "'Two hours, huh?" Augur said mockingly, "More like thirty minutes." Liam grinned weakly.

"What do we do with him?" Augur said, cautiously standing up and looking uneasily at Sandoval. The FBI agent was staring shamelessly at Augur, his mouth open in shock. Liam leaned over to sealed the shuttle entrance. "You're going to have to stand up," he told Sandoval, "Save a seat for Da'an."

"Liam," Augur said quietly, "Maybe you should see Renee."

Dread rose inside of his chest. Renee....he wasn't sure he wanted to see. "Where is she?" Augur cocked his head towards the corner. Liam rounded the seat that blocked his view, feeling Sandoval on his heels-

Both men stopped short in horror. Renee was leaning against the wall, her face marred almost beyond recognition by a bloody welt streaking across it, one arm was bent at an impossible angle, her leg literally split open and burnt, blood completely covering her fair skin. Liana was kneeling beside her, helping the woman tip the emergency water bottle from the survival kit into her mouth. The girl had a few deep cuts on her shoulders herself.

Renee's eyes rested on Liam, then on Sandoval. She smiled. "That certainly took you long enough."

****

"I'm going to go get Da'an," Sandoval heard Major Kincaid say. He heard the black man- Augur- say, "Okay...hurry up, you only have one hour this time." Kincaid laughed and was gone. Sandoval never looked up. He was busy wiping away the blood on Renee Palmer's leg. "Here," the strange girl who was also tending to Palmer said. Sandoval looked up to see her rip off a strip of her ragged shirt. "Put water on it," she said curtly, handing it to him. He grabbed the water bottle and generously wetted the rag. He hesitated, then put it right on top of the burn. "Ow," Palmer said tolerantly. There was a ripping sound, Sandoval looked up to see the girl rip another part of her shirt off until her mid-riff was showing. She took the bottle from Sandoval's hands and soaked the piece of fabric.

"This is gonna hurt," was all the warning she gave Palmer before slapping the make-shift bandage around a gash in her unbroken arm. "Ouch," Palmer said again, her voice becoming strained. The girl looked up at her with exasperated affection.

Sandoval avoided Palmer's eyes, all he did was desperately try to heal some of the damage he had done. No, he hadn't been the one who had slowly drawn a knife through her face, and no, he hadn't been the one who had pressed a hot iron against her leg, but he still felt responsible.

And how many times, he wondered, had he done similar things to other prisoners and not cared? How could he have done so? His CVI was all but gone now. It would kill him, if he didn't get it out soon.

"Wish I had some chapstick," Palmer whispered hoarsely. Sandoval looked at her cracked and bleeding lips and flinched. Ouch. "Here," he mumbled almost shyly, finding a part of his pant leg that wasn't blood-soaked and tearing it off. Palmer took it from him with a look he couldn't interpret, wetted it, and pressed it to her lips.

"Better?" the girl asked. Palmer nodded. "Augur," the girl said, looking over her shoulder at the black man. He shook his head. "I don't see them," he said from his crouching position of peeking through the shuttle's window.

"Damn it, they'd better get back soon." Sandoval cleared his throat, unable to restrain himself any longer. "If you don't mind, I'd like an explanation of all of this." The girl looked at him with chilling green eyes. "I don't think you're in a position to make demands, Sandoval." "Just tell him," Augur said dismissively, "What harm can he do? Right now?"

The girl smiled cruelly. "You're right," she said, her voice taking on the tone of a poisonous snake. She leaned close to Sandoval. He resisted the urge to back away. "If you try to double-cross us...or cause any trouble, you're outnumbered four to one. We could take care of you right now. Just because we share our secrets doesn't mean we can't. Got that? So if I were you, I'd behave."

Sandoval nodded. "Understood." It was all he could do to stop himself from saying, 'Yes ma'am.'

This girl wasn't a child. She was a battle commander.

"That's Augur," the girl said, indicating the black man. Well, he already knew THAT. First names were of little worth. "Just Augur," she told him when Sandoval cocked his head quizzically, "He doesn't have a last name. Or rather, he won't tell us it."

Augur glanced over his shoulder and managed to grin impishly. The girl rolled her eyes. "You already know Renee," Sandoval flinched at the accusation in her voice.

"And I'm Liana." "Liana....?" The girl's eyes narrowed to slits as she scrutinized him. "Liana Verdyana."

Verdyana. Sandoval rocked back on his heels in shock. Verdyanas had been one of the first families that the Taelons had ordered the destruction of. One must have survived.

Uh-oh.

Verdyana nodded. "So. You know me too." Her shoulders heaved in a suddenly weary sigh. "Liana..." Palmer said warningly. Verdyana shook her head. "Well, you're Zo'or's lackey, not Da'an's...I guess I really shouldn't hold it against you." "What do you mean?" Confusion flitted across Verdyana's face. "You don't know? Da'an wiped us out."

The words were like a slap in the face. Da'an...? But...he wouldn't do that!

"WHAT?" Verdyana and Palmer exchanged a meaningful look. "I guess Liam's not the only one who has trouble accepting it," Palmer said sadly. Verdyana nodded.

"They're coming!" Augur burst out suddenly. "It's about time," Verdyana said crisply, hurrying over to the window herself. "Yep. He's got Da'an with him." Sandoval saw Verdyana's finger caress the gun she had at her hip. The girl would of course want to kill Da'an. Alarm grasped Sandoval. He had to protect him.

But didn't he deserve to die? If Verdyana was telling the truth- which she probably was, you didn't go around accusing people of murders without solid proof- then Da'an had slaughtered thousands, if the statistics he had downloaded into the computer had been correct. He pushed the conflict out of his mind. Right now, they needed to get down to the embassy. He rose- and bumped Palmer's broken arm sharply. The woman's entire body jerked, she choked on the scream of pain she was stifling.

"Sorry! Sorry!" he said hastily, dropping to his knees immediately. He looked at the twisted limb and frowned. "We need to get a splint on that." "Gee...do you think?" Palmer gasped out. Her sarcasm in the face of such danger brought a smile to his lips.

Major Kincaid and Da'an catapulted inside at that moment. The Taelon didn't seem surprised to see him, Kincaid had apparently filled him in. "Agent Sandoval," he said with a nod. His greeting seemed cold. He understood, people don't take to you kindly when you sabotage their ship.

The ice in his words melted the second he saw Palmer. He drew back and gasped. Sandoval snuck a glance at Verdyana, the girl was staring hard at the Taelon, she moved between Palmer and Da'an protectively. Da'an's eyes met Verdyana's briefly, then he continued to stare at Palmer. "What...what did they do to you?" he whispered. Palmer smiled weakly at him, "Nothing good," she said dryly. Da'an seemed relieved that she wasn't angry with him. "I didn't tell..." he started, looking at Verdyana accusingly.

"Neither did Liana," Palmer stated, "Zo'or did his own research." The rather awkward silence was broken when Kincaid powered up the shuttle.

"Everybody strap in."

Da'an helped Palmer into her seat before taking his own. Verdyana moved into a corner and planted her feet firmly, bracing herself for the sudden lurch of takeoff. Sandoval grabbed the back of Da'an's chair. Augur, he noticed with interest, hesitated before occupying the remaining seat.

"Here we go...." the shuttle shot off into normal space, then the stars blurred into lines as they entered ID.

****

Zo'or watched from the shuttle as the Mothership shook and bucked violently. He held his breath, feverently hoping the virtual glass would withstand the contained explosion. The very frame of the living vessel shimmered, threatened to disappear through some rip in space. It faded several times, like a star struggling to shine a few more seconds at dawn, then stabilized.

Zo'or continued to stare intently at it for a few minutes. Then he slowly relaxed. The Mothership was whole, and hopefully the virtual glass that had been wrapped around the computers and other vital areas had stood up to the devastating shock.

"Zo'or...?" the Volunteer who was piloting the shuttle he was in began hesitantly, "Shall we proceed to the Embassy now?" Zo'or took a deep breath, turned back around to face the young female Human. "Yes," he said curtly. The Volunteer nodded and okayed the coordinates she had entered.

Agent Sandoval was dead now. Zo'or waited to feel the rush of pleasure to come after that fact, but it didn't come, all that came was deep guilt and self-reprimandation. Are you sure that is right? Da'an's words came back to him. It didn't matter whether or not it was right. His kind had to survive. And if that meant getting rid of traitors, so be it.

And yet, as the shuttle gave the characteristic lurch of entering interdimensional space, Zo'or thought.

And regretted.

****

Augur jerked forward in his seat as the shuttle touched down onto hard ground in front of the Embassy. "Here we are," Liam said grimly. Da'an immediately began unstrapping.

"Everybody stay inside," Liam ordered, "You don't want to go wandering around announcing your presence." "The sooner we get back, the better," Augur grumbled, trying to unknot his muscles, "I've had enough of this damn adventure." "Stop complaining," Renee said sharply, "You don't have a right too, and you don't see ME complaining, do you?" Augur looked at Renee and flinched. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely, "It's just that..." he gestured furtively towards Sandoval, "What're we going to do with HIM?"

The former Implant gazed coolly back at him, obviously accepting whatever fate they had in store. "I have quite a few ideas," Liana said, her voice somewhere between ominous and joking.

"We will return as soon as possible," Da'an said, climbing out of the shuttle. The quick glance Augur saw the Taelon cast at Liana, however, announced otherwise. "Be careful," Renee said. Liam looked at her, obviously reluctant to leave her behind with a street girl, Zo'or's attache, and a computer whiz who knew next to nothing about first aid. "You're telling me?" he said skeptically, "YOU be careful, okay?"

"I can take care of myself," Renee said a little heatedly, "Just get whatever you need to do over with and get your ass back in here." Liam nodded, giving them all one last glance before running up to Da'an, who was waiting a few feet away on the pavement.

"So. How is everyone?" Augur asked lamely, hoping to start a conversation. Anything to get them talking instead of just glaring at each other. Renee laughed weakly. "That's a hell of a question, Augur."

There was sudden movement to his left; Augur's already hyper nerves twisted his body around in his seat- His jaw dropped. Sandoval was doubled over, snickering. "Um...Sandoval?" Renee asked after a moment, her wide eyes contrasting gruesomely with the slash across her face, "Sandoval?" "I-I'm sorry," the short man said finally, "It was just funny." "You have a sense of humor?" Augur blurted without thinking. That got Renee laughing, which hurt her lips and jostled her broken arm, and so she tried to stop, but the laughter came out through her nose in the form of snorts. She opened her lips again, the sound that came out was somewhere between a shriek of pain and hysterical giggles.

Sandoval stared at her, looking undecisive as to whether or not to be concerned, then started laughing all over again. Augur felt some chuckles rising in his throat, and he was soon snickering along with the rest of them.

He stole a look at Liana. The girl was leaned against the curving wall of the shuttle, her arms crossed over her breasts, calmly surveying this freak show. Her eyebrows were slightly arched and there was a bit of a curve to her lips, but that was it.

The Ice Queen does exist, Augur thought, and that notion made him laugh harder.

"You guys'd better keep it down," she said finally, "I'm surprised the entire Embassy hasn't heard you yet." Sandoval was the first of them to sober. He grinned uncharacteristically at Liana. "I'm glad one of us has retained some common sense," he said lightly.

Augur's mirth subsided; he smiled faintly at Sandoval. I like that guy, he thought, startling himself. Renee was collectively gasping, in pain but not caring. "Oh my God...I haven't laughed like that for such a long time."

There was another silence, a comfortable, companionable silence this time. "What the hell-" Liana shouted suddenly, running towards the front window. She craned her neck upwards, her mouth wide open. "What is it?" Sandoval snapped, rushing forward to join her. Augur poked his head between their two shoulders-

A shuttle, high up in space, but losing altitude by the second, spinning, weaving. "It's outta control!" Liana yelled. Augur continued to stare at the doomed shuttle, horror slowly registering in his mind. The craft was still high up in space, barely entering Earth's atmosphere, but even from here Augur could mentally chart its course.

It was going for the Embassy.

"What the hell is going on?" Renee demanded, "Tell me!"

****

Sandoval felt a sick feeling sink into the pit of his stomach. He should have anticipated this...should have warned them... whoever was piloting the shuttle was an expert, he could tell, but there was no way anyone could compensate for the damage he had done.

The time bomb he had set in the engines of Zo'or's shuttle had done its work. The vessel was doomed.

And so was everyone in the Embassy.

"Holy SH*T!" Verdyana screamed. She had obviously figured out the devastating path ofthe falling shuttle. "It's gonna ram the Embassy!" "WHAT?" Palmer squawked out, "What is?" "There's an out of control shuttle losing altitude. It's gonna turn the Embassy into rubble in about five minutes," Augur called back to her.

The speck that was the destroyed craft grew larger.

There was a hiss as the entrance to the shuttle they were in opened. Sandoval whirled. "Liana, what the hell are you doing?" Palmer demanded. "I'm clearing that place out. Kincaid's in there." The bleeding woman blinked in mild shock at the bit about saving Kincaid. "You'll get blown away too!" Augur hollered from behind him, already moving to stop the girl. Sandoval stood there, grudgingly admiring Verdyana. There was a fire in her that he saw all too rarely in people.

"Yeah well, too bad." She gave them one last look. "I'm coming with you," Sandoval said, moving forward. "No," she ordered, leaving no room for argument, "Stay with Renee." "Liana, you're not going in there!" Palmer shouted. Verdyana stared at her, her eyes softening. "I'll come back. Really, I will."

Verdyana leaped from the shuttle, her slim, fit form running towards the Embassy. She paused, turned back around, "Whatever happens, STAY INSIDE!" She disappeared behind another shuttle and was gone.

"LIANA!" Palmer shouted. "Damn it, she's gonna get killed!" "LIANA!" Augur echoed her cry. Sandoval quickly sealed the shuttle's hatch again. "You heard her. Stay down," he hissed. Augur's head whipped around to look at him in shock, as if he had assumed he'd be the last one to follow Verdyana's orders.

"We can't help her if we get killed trying to follow her. If she manages to clear the people out, we need to be in here, ready to take off." Palmer nodded, her eyes still looking through the front view, searching for Verdyana.

****

"The engines are gone!" the Volunteer shouted, her hands flying rapidly across the control screen, desperately trying to steady the shuttle. Zo'or fell into his seat, pulling the crash restraints around himself. "Brace for crash!" the Human called back to him, "I'm going to try to land us as safely as possible-" she stopped and gasped. "What is it?" Zo'or snapped, fear threatening to take over.

"Oh MY GOD! Damnit, damnit, damnit," the Volunteer said a few other words in her language, ones that Zo'or had been told to be extremely rude. Her fingers moved in a blur across the controls, desperately trying to alter their course, "We're going to slam into the Embassy!"

Zo'or felt his body physically jerk in shock. No...Da'an was in there....

"I'm trying to change direction...c'mon, c'mon, C'MON!" Despair started to grab him. They were going to die. "Zo'or, when we crash, get out as soon as possible. Get as far away from the shuttle as you can, understand me?"

Zo'or squashed down the automatic anger at being bossed around be an insubordinate. Another part of himself was gratified that this Volunteer was so self-sacrificing and had such a disciplined mind.

"Attempt to reroute any expendable power to the engines," he ordered. The Human's hands punched in something on the panel. "It's not working, the engines are completely gone! I'm not getting any course control either-" "Switch to manual!" "I already did, it's not working!" she almost shrieked. The Embassy was getting larger, Zo'or could make out the shapes of shuttles now. "Crash in approximately three minutes," the Volunteer said grimly, pulling another set of restraints around herself. Zo'or followed suit. Desperate, he tried to contact the only Taelon he knew he could communicate with intimately.

He cried out with his mind,

Da'an....

****

Da'an felt something tugging at him through the Commonality. He jerked. It was a cry...a cry for help...his child...Zo'or...

"Da'an?" Liam stopped, drawing him to the edge of the disorganized, milling crowd that was waiting for Zo'or. "Da'an?" more urgently this time. "Zo'or!" he gasped out suddenly. Liam grabbed both his arms. "Da'an, what's wrong?" Da'an felt his eyes widen further as he saw a small, nimble figure darting among the mob of beings. Liam saw it too.

"What the hell...?"

It was Liana Verdyana.

****

Liana ran right into the middle of the crowd. Then, obviously what was with all the strength she could drag up from her body,

"GET OUT! EVERYBODY GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! THIS PLACE IS GONNA BLOW, GET OUT! GET OUT!"

There was no time to worry about Da'an. He left the suddenly dazed Taelon against the wall, hoping he would keep, and started pushing through the wall of people that separated him from the screaming girl. Liana had gotten people's attention by now. They were confused, frightened, but only a few had heeded her warning and run from the building.

"LISTEN TO ME! THERE IS AN OUT OF CONTROL SHUTTLE UP THERE, IT'S GOING TO RAM THIS PLACE IN TWO MINUTES, GET OUT, GET OUT OR YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!"

There were several wordless shouts and, "She's right!" from the doorway of the Embassy. Everybody moved for the exit at once. Liam pushed through the hysterical mob and grabbed Liana by the shoulders. What the hell do you think you're doing?" She shook him violently off. "I told you, there's a falling shuttle right on top of this place, GET OUT!"

This wasn't the time to make sure she had the right story, he retreated back to Da'an and grabbed his shoulder. The Taelon suddenly jerked away from him. "Zo'or! Zo'or is in that shuttle!"

"Zo'or?" Liam looked up at the high, curved dome of the Embassy, an awful feeling starting to rise up in his throat.....

****

The pressure of Earth's atmosphere pulled Zo'or's lips back in a fearsome grimace.

Da'an....Da'an help....

"Crash in one minute," the Volunteer said, her voice an eerie calm.

Da'an...we're falling...Da'an...help...

****

Zo'or's pleas through the Commonality echoed through his mind tauntingly. Da'an cried out in desperation, there was nothing he could do it help his child. He watched distantly as Liam helped Verdyana clear the Embassy out.

He closed his eyes and focused every energy particle on his thoughts.

Zo'or....

****

Zo'or started as he heard his name ripple through the Commonality.

He'd gotten to Da'an. The pilot had noticed his convulsive jerk and twisted around in her chair. "Zo'or?" "I've contacted Da'an through the Commonality," he gasped out, not caring that the being he was talking to was Human.

A flicker of hope flared up in the Volunteer's eyes. "I hope he'll get everyone out in time," he said matter-of-factly. Her hands never stopped trying to slow the shuttle down. "Crash in thirty seconds," she said wearily.

****

Da'an...

He heard his child return his call. And then Liam was there, dragging him towards the door. "Da'an, wake up, we have to get out of here!" Verdyana was standing in the exit, her eyes glaring into his, and Da'an noted with unease her hand was drifting toward her firearm...

****

"Crash in twenty seconds...Zo'or, get ready to unstrap the moment we crash and get out."

Zo'or didn't acknowledge the pilot's words, he barely heard them. He could hear the wind whistling ferociously outside of the shuttle. The space inside was growing hotter, the shuttle's exterior shield's were straining under the stress of entering the atmosphere at this speed. His mind ticked off the seconds as they went by.

10.....

9......

8......

7......

6......

****

"That's everyone!" Kincaid called up to her. Liana nodded, her eyes trained on Da'an. Now...she would have to kill him now, set Reklae at peace now...she wouldn't have another chance...her fingers wrapped around her gun, began loosening it from its holster....

****

5....

4....

The Embassy was frighteningly close now, Zo'or saw with gratitude that the building seemed empty; the hundreds of people on the grass outside of the building testifying to his wild hope.

2....

1....

****

Liana got the gun clear before her conscience could kick in-

CRASH

The world went black.

****

The impact of slamming through the Embassy's ceiling sent numbing pain warping through Zo'or's head. He began unstrapping, grateful he hadn't sustained any major injuries. His pilot, on the other hand, hadn't been so lucky. There was a deep gash in her forehead where some plastic had done it's work. The Volunteer swore.

"Let's get out of here," she said tersely, reaching up over her head to push some wreckage out of the way. She climbed out through the opening she had made, then reached down for Zo'or.

Zo'or hesitated, took her hand, and she hauled him up.

"Let's go! The shuttle's gonna blow soon!" she shouted. Zo'or raced after her, picking his way gingerly over pieces of rafter and plaster. Half of the Embassy had to be in ruins. The rest would be soon gone when the shuttle imploded.

He was angry this had happened, and was sick with worry as to whether or not Da'an had been in the building when they had crashed, and concerned for the Volunteer who was running ahead of him, and angry at himself all over again for having such sentiments.

"Okay, where the hell is the exit?" the woman asked, skidding to the stop. "I can't see a thing." Zo'or surveyed the rubble that circled them and saw that they were trapped with the doomed shuttle.

"We are not yet a safe distance from the shuttle," he told her, using his impatient, arrogant tone out of habit. "I know!" the Implant snapped back, forgetting all protocol in the weight of the situation. "We'll have to hack our way through..." she glanced back at the destroyed craft, "If we don't do it in time by ourselves, the shuttle will clear away anything in our path for us," she finished grimly.

"Then I suggest we start," Zo'or said curtly, reaching forward with his relatively weaker arms to push away some of the broken wood and bricks in their path. The Volunteer began almost literally digging with her hands beside him.

It was strange. Human and Taelon. Working side by side.

That was when he heard the rumbling.

****

Liana shook her head and gasped out in pain as the movement caused a thudding pain in her skull.

Something must've hit me, she thought. Her eyes widened as she saw the warped, twisted thing in front of her. The shuttle. It had crashed not five feet away from her. And if the violent shaking of the thing was any indication, it ready to blow in about two seconds.

"Holy SH*T!" she screamed, scrambling to her feet, shoving the gun back into it's place and running away-

Too late.

"Aaahhhhhh!"

The explosion blew her an unmeasurable distance-

AWAY from the exit.

****

"Volunteer-" Zo'or began almost frantically, not knowing how to address her, having never asked her name. "What?" her head snapped up. "Oh my GOD! It's gonna blow, it's gonna blow, CLEAR OUT!"

There was a brilliant flash of light and a deafening roll of thunder as the shuttle exploded.

It would have cleared a nice, open path in the almost solid wall of rubble they were up against. The problem was, Zo'or was in the way of the wreckage and the blast. There was no where else for the shockwaves to blow him but through the shrapnel.

****

"Da'an? Da'an! DA'AN!" Liam shouted, grabbing his arm and trying to slow the bleeding. "Liam..." a weak voice, somewhere through the black smoke. "Da'an?" Liam had to shove his face about five inches away from the Taelon to see him fighting his way from under a heavy chunk of wood.

"The shuttle's exploded," he said breathlessly, straining to roll the rubble off of Da'an.

"Yes...the event has been brought to my attention." Liam paused. Had that been sarcasm? He threw the piece of timber away with a grunt. "There. Let's get out of here..." a fire was already starting from behind them. He gagged a bit on the smoke filling his lungs, then started plowing through the wreckage for the door.

"Liam," Da'an said quietly, "I'm not going."

****

Zo'or slowly regained consciousness. He was alone, fire crackled and danced around him. Other then the angry orange glare of the flames, it was completely black, he coughed as he inhaled more smoke.

He tried to move his head, his legs...but it was as if he was paralyzed. He couldn't move any part of himself. He looked down, and realized with horror that his facade was gone, and his energy form was being slowly destroyed. He watched numbly as another energy cell was ripped apart. The more were destroyed at once, he gasped out in pain.

He was slumped against some piece of shrapnel, he didn't know what, all he knew was that the explosion had done devastating damage.

Da'an....help me....

"Zo'or? Zo'or, where are you?"

The Volunteer! "I am here," he cried out weakly. "I heard you!" her voice rang out from the black smoke, "Keep talking, I'll find you!"

Da'an...Da'an please....

****

Liana came to for the second time with a groan. "Damn it," she muttered, not daring to shake her head, or to even move it.

"I am here!" an unstable, weak voice called out. Her head snapped up, forgetting all about potential brain injuries. She stumbled through the black smog, aware there was a fire around her but at the moment not caring.

It was Zo'or. He was lying there, helpless, his human skin barely hanging on to his body, his head lolled to one side, obviously in great pain.

Her eyes narrowed. So she would get to kill two Taelons today....

****

"Like hell you aren't," Liam growled, pulling Da'an towards the door, "This place is going to collapse any time, let's GO." "No Liam!" he cried, twisting out of his grasp and running away. Something made him stop and look back.

His Protector's eyes looked confused and extremely hurt. Da'an felt torn up; he went back to stand in front of him.

"Liam," he said gently, "Zo'or is still here. I can hear him," indeed, even now Zo'or's cries for help wove through the Commonality, "I will not leave my child behind in here. He is dying. I will come out with him...or I will not come out at all." "I can't let you do that," Liam said tiredly, but he made no move to stop him. "I am sorry, Liam. Perhaps I will survive. But I am not letting Zo'or die in here alone."

"Da'an...don't do this," Liam pleaded. "Go now Liam," he hesitated, "I have always valued you friendship. And tell...tell LIANA that...I am sorry. For everything I did to her. For all that I took away." Liam nodded, tears coming to his eyes. "You're going to make it out, you hear me? You're going to make it or I'll come back in looking for you." Da'an shook his head sadly. "No you won't Liam. You have you own life to live. Your own people to look after." He turned and started to walk away when he felt something holding him back.

Liam had caught his hand. Da'an looked at their joined fingers, and looked deep into his friend's green-blue eyes. He understood. All between them was forgiven.

Choking back an unexpected sob, he let go of his Protector's hand and ran off towards the fire, where he knew Zo'or was trapped.

Zo'or...my child...where are you....?

****

"Okay...okay, I'm coming," the Volunteer appeared out of the smoke, her brown hair singed. She stopped short at the sight of his degrading condition.

"Oh my God..." the woman was no Taelon, but she knew that when small pieces of someone's body were ripping apart, something was wrong. Zo'or was nearly unconscious now, delirious from the pain.

Da'an....Da'an...Da'an.... He cried out in pain as more energy cells were split open en masse.

He was almost all the way gone now....but he was still awake enough to startle when an energy beam missed him by an inch.

****

Liana took aim again...damn it, the smoke was obscuring everything, when it wasn't completely black, it made everything go sort of wavy and move.

Zo'or was helpless....she just had to squeeze off one true shot before the Volunteer reacted-

Too late. The black-and-silver clad woman swung her own weapon up and took a shot at her. Liana felt the familiar adrenaline rush begin. She side-stepped, and tried for the Volunteer...she would have to take care of this one first. "DAMN it," she cursed as something sharp drew blood from her arm.

Her conscience was acting up again...no! She squashed it down. The Volunteer took another shot- this one was to close, she would have her dead in another second.

Liana instinctively let her right leg collapse, rolling a few feet to her right... and suddenly changed direction, catching the Volunteer completely off guard, whose gun was still tracking where she had been moving. Liana flipped to her knees, pressed her finger down on the trigger, and kept it there.

After four or five continuous shots, the Volunteer was no more.

She was about to advance on the dying Zo'or when a wall of flame shot up in front of her, blocking her path.

****

Pieces of the Embassy went flying. Renee desperately searched the grass outside for Liana. "I don't see her," Sandoval reported, who was also searching with his eyes. "Me-me neither," Augur said heavily. He turned back around to Renee. "I-I think she was still in there, Renee." Renee nodded numbly, pushing back the tears that came to her eyes. "She still might be alive-" "No," she cut Augur off, "The chances of surviving an explosion like that are very small." Sandoval shot her a look that was somewhere between respect and pity.

Renee leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Oh God no. Liana. She'd promised. She'd PROMISED she'd come back. Renee wanted to scream, to rant, to cry, to beat at the shuttle until it came crashing down over their heads. But none of that wouldn't bring Liana back.

"Okay," she said after a few deep, shaky breaths, "alright. How about Liam. Do you see Liam out there?"

Sandoval's eyes searched the world beyond the shuttle window. "I see him!" he cried out with strange relief, "He's heading this way."

The door hissed open and Liam climbed wearily inside. "Guys, I've got some bad news for you...."

****

Zo'or...where are you....?

Da'an! Da'an, help me, please...

Zo'or! Child! Where...?

Da'an....Da'an...Da'an

"Da'an!" he heard a scream, a shout, echo through the burning, crackling fire. Zo'or.

I'm coming....hang on....I'm coming....

****

"Da'an!" The scream vibrated amongst the fire, Liana froze, body tensed, her ears straining for any other clue to the Taelon's location.

Nothing.

There was a cracking sound from above her, she rolled out of the way just in time to avoid a flaming rafter that crashed to the ground beside her. The flames of the charred piece of wood added fuel to the fire that was already raging around her.

The Embassy was going to fall down on her head soon, if she didn't get out of here.

But not before killing Da'an.

She would end it. Right here. Right now. She would never get another chance. Reklae would rest in peace now. No, no, no....a part of her protested. You want me to do this, she thought fiercely, I KNOW you do. I love you, Reklae. I'm doing this for you. They deserve it....HE deserves it....

She walked around to an area that wasn't on fire, careful to avoid the tongues of flames that flicked out at her.

There. A parting in the solid wall of fire. She dove through, rolling just in case her clothes caught flame. She got up, not even dusting herself off, and continued to where the cry had originated. Her eyes surveyed the rubble in front of her. She looked up to what had once been the ceiling...a catwalk. She flipped through her short term memory, remembered seeing one just like that during her shoot-out with the Volunteer-

A piece of flaming plaster came for her, she leaped out of it's path.

Just wait Da'an...soon....soon...

****

Da'an stumbled blindly in the general direction of Zo'or's cry.

Zo'or...hold on....I am coming....

Da'an...Da'an please...

He saw him then, his child, lying limp against some section of a rafter, his energy form slowly, painfully degrading...

NO!

More flaming debris dropped in front of him, blocking the beeline he had had to Zo'or. Da'an said a few words in Euonia he had never used before. He would die when this building collapsed.

But he was not leaving Zo'or.

****

Liam explained the whole situation. "Da'an WHAT? Zo'or WHAT?" Sandoval burst out. Liam glared up at him, "I am NOT explaining the entire thing AGAIN." "Oh my God....I never knew. I never knew," Sandoval started pacing the limited length of the shuttle in agitation.

Augur shook his head. "This is crazy." Liam looked at Renee expectantly, who had been unusually silent during all of this. "Renee?" then he realized something was wrong, "Hey...where's Liana?" Renee looked up from the ground. She slowly, painfully got to her feet. Augur moved to help, but she waved him off.

The woman's eyes looked at the flaming, crushed Embassy. Her gaze locked onto Liam's, held it. "Liana was in the Embassy when the shuttle crashed. She was in there when it exploded. She's dead."

Liam felt sick. Liana...dead? It was impossible! No...there had to be a mistake... no....

"Are-are you sure?" No one answered him. "Oh God," he moaned, "Oh God....no, oh God..."

****

She had to dive to the floor to avoid the next piece of falling fire. Her chin skidded painfully along the hot floor, she got to her knees and rubbed it. It was badly skinned, but not bleeding.

A flash to her left...she swiveled her body around to face the out-of-place sparkle she had caught at the corner of her eye.

A Taelon bodysuit.

Da'an.

Her hunter's instincts kicked in; she prowled after the Taelon through the smoke.

****

"Zo'or!" Da'an saw his child's eyes roll up to see him as he drew closer. "Daan..." he breathed, too weak to even separate the syllables in his name. Da'an immediately placed his hand on Zo'or's forehead and let energy flow from his body to his offspring's. The energy cells seemed to strengthen.

"Daan..." Zo'or feebly reached up with one arm, "Help me..." "I am child, I am...lie still now...it will be alright..."

"Daan...."

"Shhh...it is alright..."

"Daan..."

****

Liana rounded the corner where Da'an had disappeared from view...

An evil smile spread across her face as she saw the two Taelons together. She raised her weapon....sighted along the barrel...took aim... Da'an saw her, he whirled, horror registering on his features-

The chunk of burning ceiling slammed right in front of Liana without warning.

"DAMN it!" she snarled, "F*CK it all!" She began to search for a way around the warped, twisted piece of debris.

****

Da'an didn't stop to be grateful the flaming obstacle had landed between himself and Verdyana. He turned back to Zo'or.

"Zo'or, we must leave, now!" his child groaned and stirred. "Zo'or!" he added another spurt of energy to his dying body. He held his breath, willing the cells to stabilize-

They did. They were strained and stretched to the limit, but they stopped tearing apart. "Zo'or!" "Daan..." he whispered once again, then slipped off into unconsciousness. "Zo'or!" The oft-repeated Human word 'Damn!' came irresistibly to mind.

In desperation, he slid his arms under his child, wincing at the burning-hot floor, and lifted him up like an infant. He staggered to where his sense of direction told him the exit of this hellhole was.

****

Liana...Liana, no.... I'm doing this Reklae....I'm doing this... Liana...please...no.....

She stumbled around another flaming rafter. No, no, Liana, don't...... Reklae! Shutup! I'm doing this...for you...

WOULD Reklae have wanted this?

Of course, she snarled at herself. Stop being stupid. She sprinted through a dangerously narrow hallway made entirely of fire...

And came face to face with Da'an.

Slowly, she unlimbered her weapon. No, Liana, no!

The Taelon gasped when he saw her, dropped something he was carrying. Zo'or.

His child. Something, someONE he loved.

Da'an would experience the agony of seeing someone he cared for blown away before he died. It was a torture that haunted you forever, even when you were dead. Yes, let HIM feel the misery. Let HIM feel the pain of having a part of your soul ripped out.

Tears were filling her eyes, blurring her vision, her gun hand was trembling. Reklae. She swiveled the gun away from Da'an, aimed it at the helpless Zo'or's chest.

Time slowed, then froze. The loud, hellish crackling of the flames became a soft background hum as she locked eyes with Da'an. She sent him a message through her mind.

This is for what you did. For all that you took away. See how you like it.

"NOOOOOOO!"

Da'an was there, flinging himself in front of Zo'or, his child, all that he had left. Liana's eye flashed back to Reklae throwing herself in the line of fire and taking the shot.

Reklae.

Da'an.

She saw her sister then. Her eyes blazing, her mouth open, screaming.

NO! Liana, NO!

Reklae......

She hadn't been doing this for her sister, she realized. She had been doing this for herself. For all the pain and hollowness she had lived through all these years. This wasn't for Reklae. This went against everything Reklae had believed in. Her entire arm was trembling now, tears flowing freely down her face, wrenching sobs blocking her breathing.

NO! She wanted to put the gun down, to stop the murder she was setting in place... But she had already pulled the trigger...... The passage of time was restored, Da'an's body fell in front of his child's-

It was as if Liana's eyes could slow down movement, she could see the energy beam as it slowly gathered on the tip of the gun, as it got ready to lance out- She reacted by pure instinct; she had less the a nanosecond to do this.

She jerked the gun, up, throwing off its aim-

The deadly shot passed harmlessly over the heads of the two Taelons. She stood there for a second longer, feet planted firmly apart, keeping the gun on where Da'an lay, a small spark of anger and hate willing her to do it, do it now and get it over with.

She sobbed again, choked on her tears, her entire body shaking violently. And slowly, she let her gun arm fall limp at her side. She couldn't do it. She couldn't do it. She locked eyes with Da'an again, who was now moving to stand in front of Zo'or's still figure.

She wanted to drop to her knees, to lay there and just cry all the tears she had been holding back for four years. More falling rubble dropped around her. No. No time for emotions now. She shook her head, holstered her gun, and started towards Da'an.

The alien gasped, his eyes wide in fear, crab-walking backwards away from her, but staying in front of Zo'or. She wordlessly moved for the younger Taelon. Da'an viciously lashed out at her with his arm, hissing something in Eunoia.

"I'm not going to hurt him, you idiot!" she shouted at him, her tears already drying. More flames fell from the sky. The Embassy was truly collapsing now.

Da'an stared at her, shock and suspicion in his neon blue eyes. "Wha...what?" "You wanna get out of here or not?" She wedged her hands under Zo'or, the hot floor burning her flesh. Da'an stared at her for a moment longer, disbelief= fighting with gratitude on his face, then followed her example. Together they lifted the Synod leader and struggled to where the door should be.

The pathways of energy in Zo'or's body were ripping apart, she saw with alarm. It had to be something about the heat. She saw Da'an's hands glow through the almost translucent body they were carrying, energy flowed from parent to child. The thin streams seemed to stabilize.

Her head snapped up. Air. Fresh air. She could smell it....

****

Sandoval and Augur had to hold him back to keep Liam from running back into the Embassy. "Da'an hasn't come out yet!" he yelled as they dragged him back into the shuttle and sealed the door. "Well, you won't be much help if you get killed yourself, would you?" Renee snapped from behind him.

He propped himself up on his elbows and looked up and back at her. "How could you say that? Liana's in there too, you know!" "Yes, and for all I know she's dead, and I'm not going in there looking for a dead body." "She could still be alive!" "And if she was, what help would I be? If anyone could survive something like that, it's Liana, I grant you that, but screaming and running around inside like a total idiot isn't going to help anybody!"

Liam looked up at her in numb grief. Renee was so...cold-blooded in her words.

It must be Liana's influence.

He got to his feet. "What do we do now?" he asked tiredly. "We wait," Sandoval replied, his eyes glued to the dying Embassy, "And we hope."

****

"There!" Liana shouted, nodding her head to the small patch of sunlight she saw in the black smog. Da'an looked to where she gestured, hope sprang into his eyes. "Come o-"

A rafter swung down from behind Da'an, knocking him to the floor. The impact sent Liana flying, causing her to drop Zo'or and land a few feet away. She immediately began running back, knowing they only had a few seconds. She could go for the door now. Save herself. She wavered. She should. Look to your own survival....

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Da'an, standing up, staggering towards Zo'or.

She also saw the creaking, silent piece of ceiling that would crush him in one second.

She looked back hysterically at Da'an-

But it wasn't Da'an she saw. It was Reklae. The eyes weren't Taelon blue, but a deep, sea green that mirrored her own. The golden, shining blonde hair, swirled as her sister swiveled around to meet her eyes, her mouth open in a wordless cry for help.

"LOOK OUT!" she screamed, running towards Reklae and tackling her. Her sister rolled across the floor from the impact, out of harm's way. Liana glanced up frantically. The ceiling was coming for her...she scrambled over the floor, trying to get away in time...

It was too late, she knew in her heart, too late.....the chunk of burning, flaming plaster came for her, only inches away now...

****

"LOOK OUT!"

The scream jolted through Zo'or's body. It was enough to pull him back into consciousness, for just a minute... His vision was blurred....but the pain...the pain was gone... Da'an! Da'an, where was he?

There! He was standing....under...something falling...it would hurt him...

A blur of movement! Something small, knocking his parent away...yes, Da'an was safe now... but his rescuer was still in the path of danger...the being wouldn't get out in time...there....the fire was falling...bright ...so bright.... The Human was in danger! He didn't care who it was...what species...it had saved Da'an... he had to help...

He reached out with one arm, desperately trying to reach...

****

"Aaaahhhh!" Liana screamed as she tried to make her body move faster...too late...too late...

Something grabbed her flailing ankle... pulled...she was yanked backwards from where she was, her stomach throbbing from the heat of the floor....

There was a deafening, shattering sound. She shook her head, cursed...and realized that the section of Embassy ceiling had landed barely two inches in front of her nose. She hadn't gotten out herself....who...?

She gasped, jerked her head around to see Zo'or gripping her ankle. The Taelon had regained consciousness for just long enough....

And had saved her life.

Liana felt her eyes widen; she swallowed hard. Great. Another thing to feel conflicted about. Several thoughts entered her mind at once...Reklae! Her head snapped back around....but her Human sister was gone; Da'an was getting to his feet, dazed and staring at her like she was some kind of ghost. Only then did Liana see what she had just done. Saved Da'an's life, nearly dying for him.

No. It HADN'T been Da'an. She had been seeing Reklae....

No....it wasn't me...it was your last step... learning how to forgive....Reklae's voice seemed to surround her and yet was not there.

She looked up at Da'an, whose mouth was hanging open, his blue eyes shamelessly studying her. "Well, come on!" she snapped, not really wanting him to say 'Thank you.' The Taelon snapped out of his trance, he skittered around the thing that had almost killed Liana seconds before and helped her lift Zo'or up...

She didn't remember anything else, except loud, crackling flames and suffocating black smoke. The heat almost knocked her out... She didn't recall much of anything except for bright sunlight hitting her eyes and gasping in fresh air and thinking that stumbling out of the Embassy through that door was the sweetest thing in the world...

****

Renee was looking down at the floor, fighting back tears when Sandoval emitted a choking, strangled sound. "What? What is it?" Augur rushed over to join the former Taelon Protector. His eyes widened and the computer hacker made a similar noise.

"What?" she and Liam snapped almost at the same time. Augur began laughing. Laughing hysterically, happily, so hard he fell over onto the floor. Sandoval just stared. Then he screamed, "THEY'RE ALIVE! Ha-HA! They're ALIVE!"

"WHAT?" Renee shrieked, trying not to get her hopes up. "Liana...and Da'an...they've got Zo'or with them....oh my God, they're ALIVE!" Augur gasped out. Liam leaped to his feet, slamming his fist hard against the button that opened the shuttle door. He flung himself out, barely keeping balance.

Through her joy, Renee still noted that even though most of the other shuttles were gone, some others had stayed, watching the final destruction of the Embassy, and there were fire fighters surrounding every square inch of the building.

"Augur-" she croaked out, but her warning came too late. Both he and Sandoval had already run after Liam. Renee saw her then. Her tough, lean body bent over, hands on her knees, breathing hard.

But alive.

Liana.

All control snapped; she fell out of the shuttle, ignoring the pain that seemed to come straight from hell as she limped as best she could towards her friend.

****

"Da'an!" Liana glanced up to see Kincaid flying towards them. Da'an met his Protector's eyes; a silent message passed between them. Then Kincaid just flat-out embraced him, and Da'an clung to the Human, laughing with joy to be alive. "Da'an!" Sandoval echoed Kincaid's cry of joy, he put his hands on the alien's shoulders and held him at arm's length. "Oh my God...you're ALIVE!"

Liana quietly withdrew from the reunion, checking on Zo'or to make sure his body didn't start ripping apart again.

"LIANA!"

She whirled at her name, and Renee was there; she felt herself being crushed against her friend's body. She squeezed her tightly, then held Liana back so she could look at her face. "Don't you ever...EVER do something like that again, you hear me?" Liana embraced Renee again, and she now the older woman was sobbing. "I told you I'd come back," she exulted, "I told you, didn't I?"

"Hey!" Augur was running towards them, his ponytail flying wildly. Normally, Liana would have pulled back, but she was giddy with a joy rarely felt, she hugged him as well with only the barest bit of hesitation.

Alive. She was alive.

She turned her head slightly and locked eyes with Da'an. This time, there was no acidic rush of hate when she looked into his unearthly blue eyes. Emotions were let out, and soon everyone was done crying or laughing crazily. Da'an turned his attention towards Zo'or. "Is he going to live?" Kincaid asked quietly. Da'an turned from his kneeling position. "Yes, I believe he is...he just needs an energy stream..."

"One ride to the Mothership coming right up," Kincaid said abruptly, "Let's see how that virtual glass held up; there has to be an energy shower still working." Da'an smiled faintly. "Yes. Let us go."

Augur and- to Liana's mild surprise- Sandoval gently transported the unconscious Taelon back to the shuttle.

She looked around. Curious spectators were staring at them on the grass, but none of them seemed to have noticed that among the reunion there had been Doors International's CEO, a strange girl, and a Russian fugitive.

Good.

She started trudging tiredly towards the shuttle when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Kincaid.

"Liana...I know you could've killed Da'an and Zo'or in there. I..." he trailed off, glancing away from her. He stared into her eyes with sudden abruptness, "Thank you," he said simply, and offered his hand.

****

Liam stared hard at Liana as the girl looked at the hand he had extended. She caught his gaze and held it.

People say that a person's eyes are the windows to their souls. But Liam knew that if somebody had been put through enough misery, they could pull shutters over those windows, until their eyes were merely cold stones looking out at you.

Liana had hidden her feelings for four long years...but now, as he looked into those windows, she decided to open the shutters...and Liam saw what had happened in the Embassy, how she had forgiven Da'an, how she still missed her sister.

There were also questions in her eyes. Why do you have shaquarava? What are you? I'm special too...perhaps one day I'll tell you. Slowly, hesitantly, she took his hand warmly. Her mouth quirked in a half-smile. "You're welcome....Liam."

She squeezed his hand. It was an awkward squeeze. A bit jerky and stiff.

But it was a start.

FIN