Project Unity: Rise of the Son, Chapter Twelve

Chapter 12

The old office greeted him like an old friend, though Captain Hunt had rarely used the space. Today, however, it offered an easy retreat from the tension on the bridge. Though the majority of the ship had taken the new order of things with relative ease, there were a handful of crewmen who were uncomfortable with taking orders from Commander Asada and still viewed Captain Hunt as a traitor. Still, until they refused to do their jobs or blatantly disrespected a superior, he would try to wait for the tension to pass.

And it had to pass. They couldn't afford to lose any more people than they already had.

Hunt sunk onto the the bed that his ancestor had once slept in. These quarters, located directly off the bridge, had been reserved for the original mission commander. Though that mission had been scrapped, James Hunt had taken charge of the ship under the circumstances. Robert's head had been filled with the stories of his ancestors and lineage all his life, it was only natural that he'd desire the command track when the time came to pick a future.

Some days, like today, Robert Hunt second guessed that decision.

He wasn't afforded much time to doubt himself though, which was probably a blessing in disguise. The door chime emitted a crackle, more evidence of age and disuse, before Jamison stepped into the space. Hunt could never figure out how Jamison always seemed to know exactly where he was hiding out. "Captain."

"Report Mr. Jamison," Hunt said, cutting to the chase.

"All our visitors have returned to their ship, they're awaiting our signal to leave for Ne'Vha. According to Lieutenant Dexter...Jordan Dexter that is..." He furrowed his brow and Captain Hunt waved him on. The two Dexters of engineering had been causing confusion since the day they'd married. Hunt had always assumed it delighted them actually. "According to engineering, we should be able to get underway by the end of third shift. Though she cautions that we'll be limping along until we do some major systems overhauls and repairs..." he pulled one of the data pads free and passed the list over to the Captain.

"Well that's why we're going to Ne'Vha right? According to our visitors, it's the closest and largest space dock for the next several sectors," Hunt said as he scrolled through the extensive list. It was to be expected, even before the rebellion they'd been in need of a good tune up. "I only hope they're being honest with us..." he mumbled.

"So say we all," Jamison responded immediately. Realizing his mistake, he grimaced and began to apologize for speaking out of turn but Hunt waved him off once more. After an awkward moment, he pulled out another data pad and held it out for the Captain as well. "Commander Asada has reviewed the early reports from Security and approved these people for return to duty."

"Fine. But I want them on probation pending the outcome of the full investigation. Even if they weren't directly involved, I find it hard to believe they weren't aware of what was happening," Hunt said. "Next?" He pointed to the final data pad in Jamison's hands.

Jamison looked down at it for a quiet moment and then held it out. "Your speech, for the memorial ceremony – and all the names. All the arrangements have been made, as well."

Captain Hunt nodded grimly, taking the data pad. He already knew the words, he'd written them the night before, but the names seemed to go on forever. "How many?"

"Four hundred and sixty-two Captain."

"Thank you Mr. Jamison. If that's all, dismissed," Hunt didn't look up as the door swished open and closed again. The names continued to scroll across the pad long after he was gone.

------

Freya stared at the underside of the bunk above her and calculated the ways to extract herself from the bed without disturbing Meng. He was wedged between her and the wall and she knew the smallest movement would shift the bed, causing a loud creak of metal in the process.

Maybe it would be better if he just woke up and left. He couldn't be comfortable – she sure wasn't. Giving in, she slid his arm off her and sat up. The tell-tale creek of the metal on metal caused Meng to stir and mumble incoherently for a moment. "Morning," Freya muttered.

"Why, again, did we stay here last night?" Meng asked, rolling his shoulders to work out the kinks of a night spent in cramped quarters. "I have this great double bed in my quarters..."

Freya ignored him and went about making herself a cup of coffee in the tiny kitchenette space. Instead of pushing for a reassignment of quarters, she'd hidden herself away in the old bunks where she knew she wouldn't be disturbing anyone. 'Or be disturbed,' she thought, glancing at Meng briefly. "I don't recall anyone telling you you had to stay," she said as she clutched her coffee cup.

Meng frowned, "Freya, are you alright?" He tried to remember if she was usually this cranky in the mornings but she'd almost always slipped away before he'd woken up. "If you want me to go..." he said as he stood, narrowly avoiding hitting his head on the top bunk.

Freya didn't answer. She scooted around him, a feat in itself given the space, and disappeared into the bathroom. She wanted to tell him to leave but she bit her tongue and focused on washing her face.

"Freya." Meng slid the door open further and leaned against the frame. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she lied. Her head was already pounding and her stomach was protesting the lack of food already making her feel unsteady. "Just....I have stuff I need to do before the ceremony. Don't you?" Aside from checking on her patients, she didn't have much to do but it was a convenient excuse.

Meng seemed to accept her words and stepped back, allowing her to pass. "I suppose I do. Are you sure you're okay? I know today is going to be hard for everyone."

Freya nodded, waving him off unceremoniously. As soon as he was gone, she dropped onto her bunk. Feeling as if the air in the room had been sucked out with him, she struggled to breathe and the queasiness in her stomach threatened to send her running for the bathroom any moment.

Meng stopped in the corridor and debated returning to demand to know just what was up with her. Despite her claims of work, he was sure that Freya just wanted him to leave but why? After another moment of indecision, he shoved her from his mind and stalked back to his own, newly assigned quarters, to get ready for the day.

He distracted himself with busy work and checking up on repairs for most of the morning in order to keep both Freya and the impending memorial service out of his mind. 

When Captain Hunt fell into step along side him, Meng brushed at the engine grease that decorated his uniform. "Getting your hands dirty Commander?"

"Just helping where I can...I was just on my way to get a clean jacket actually," Meng explained.

"Mmhmm," Hunt seemed unconcerned with his new first officer's disheveled appearance. "Commander," he paused, considering his next words with care, "I understand that you and Dr. Ryan are close?"

"Well, yes...is that a problem sir?" Meng asked, quickly putting himself on guard.

"No. Though it's not recommended, that's not why I've asked," Hunt said quickly. "How is she holding up today?"

"Holding up Captain?" Meng asked. Despite all his distractions, he'd been trying to figure out the source of Freya's ire most of the morning. Perhaps Captain Hunt would provide those answers.

Hunt smiled, laughing at something that was known only to him. "How many people did she treat when she was with you...with the Sons?"

"Well she was our only doctor, and only person trained at all so, she treated everyone. Why?" Meng asked, confused by the direction the conversation had gone.

Hunt nodded, he had to have known that already from all the reports and gossip that had been going around since the end of the rebellion. "And how many died Commander? How many people died under her care?"

"Well they weren't all her....I mean many died before she ever saw them..." Meng argued but the final pieces had begun to click into place.

Captain Hunt saw the look of understanding cross his executive officer's face and nodded, sadly. "I'm sure you know how she is Commander, I'm sure you've seen that by now. She internalizes everything. Every death is a failing of hers because she wasn't good enough or she wasn't fast enough. It's all nonsense of course – she can't save the world after all."

"But she doesn't see it that way," Meng said rubbing his forehead.

"And she remembers, oh does she remember....every name, every face, every death. How do you think she'll fare today as the whole crew gathers to mourn the dead? Four hundred and sixty-two names will be read out in a few hours, how many of those does she blame on herself?"

"Excuse me Captain," Meng said quickly. He took the stairs two at a time as he ran for the medical ward.

"Oi!" Commander Katou jumped out of the way before they collided at the doors of the ward. When she saw who she'd narrowly avoided, she had to forcibly clamp her mouth shut before she said something insubordinate. "Commander Asada..." she said slowly, struggling to get the words out.

Meng nodded tersely to the science chief and silently prayed that her general dislike of him would end their encounter quickly.

Taking in a deep breath of resolve, Commander Katou stuck out her hand. Meng stared at it curiously for a moment and then returned the gesture. The hand shake was awkward and tense, as many first steps are. "I am....I," she fumbled over the words she'd hoped to say. "Permission to speak freely?"

"Sure," Meng said, still hoping to get away from her.

"I don't like you, I don't think you should be in the position you're in," Katou said, she sped on before he could interject, "BUT, I respect the Captain's choice and I will do my job Commander, I promise that much."

"Fine," Meng said tersely. "I don't need you to like me Commander Katou, good day." Before she could say anything else, he brushed past her into the medical bay.

Doctor Hapsberg looked up at the swish of the doors, "something I can do for you Commander?"

Meng glanced around the bay but Freya was nowhere to be seen. "Has Doctor Ryan been in today?"

Hapsberg smiled and pointed toward the back corner, which led to the smaller individual care units. "She's in unit two now," she said, before returning to her work.

Meng lingered by the door a moment, maybe Freya was fine after all. Maybe the Captain had been wrong. Still, the seed of doubt that had sent him running after her in the first place propelled him forward.

The narrow window in the door allowed him to watch her, unseen for several minutes as she tended to Lieutenant Ice. After she'd done all the standard checks, she settled into a seat beside his bed and took his hand in hers. Meng turned away from the scene and left the ward without disturbing her.

------

"Hey there Julian...." Freya stroked a finger along the palm of his hand as she spoke. "Are you in there? I mean the you before all this, the real you? I sure hope so. Things are so different now, so many lives have been lost and changed. Captain Hunt says we're in recovery but I don't know how anyone can recover from this."

Freya lapsed into silence, still holding his hand but saying nothing. The only sound was that of the constant beep of the machinery that monitored his life signs. "Andy's dead," Freya whispered the words, as if saying them louder would make it all the more real. "I suppose you know that though. Your aunt is dead – I watched her die. I'm sorry about that, not because she was a good person or anything but because she was your family. So many people are dead now...I can see their names and faces in my mind. All of them," Freya grimaced, clutching her head as the headache threatened to overtake her. "It hurts Julian," she squeezed his unresponsive hand. "Please come back to us. Please come back to me. I can't add another name to the list – especially not yours."

------

The cargo bay had been cleared of debris by a team of security officers, the only ones who had been allowed back to duty in fact. Engineers had spend the better part of the morning rigging the wall to display the names of the dead in rotation. Jamison had overseen the installation of all the trappings to transform the bay into a suitable venue for the service.

As the service drew closer, more and more people filled the space. Civilians stuck together toward the back and sides of the room while uniformed crew found their designated spaces and waited, silently, for orders. There was no talking above a whisper in the bay. When Freya entered, accompanied by Doctor Hapsberg and a few nurses, eyes turned toward her and even the whispering stopped for a moment. The many retellings of the final hours of the rebellion had made her quite a celebrity on board.

It was a title she'd gladly relinquish.

All eyes turned toward the doors, thankfully, as a shrill whistle announced the arrival of Commander Asada, Captain Hunt and the former council members Trane and Elana. The quartet made their way to the front of the crowd while the crew members fell into line and came to attention.

Elana, bearing the symbol of the clergy, stepped forward first. "May we all bow our heads in silence and prayer for the family and friends we have lost." She said a quiet prayer, an old one which was repeated by several in the room. Others merely bowed their heads. A few people cried, their sobs audible in the silent room.

Captain Hunt stepped forward, "thank you Elana," he said as she stepped back, taking up a position next to Mr. Trane. "May our ancestors forgive us. May our lost kin find Home," Captain Hunt placed a data pad on the podium and looked out across the sea of solemn faces. "We have come together today to bid our fallen good bye. After such a period of estrangement, it seems appropriate that we unite to mourn our dead at long last." Hunt looked toward the two walls displaying the names. He was silent for several moments and a few people began to fidget.

Captain Hunt looked down at his speech and shook his head before beginning again. Only Jamison would know he'd veered from his speech. "We have been fools, all of us, these past months. We are an endangered species. We cannot afford to be so disrespectful of life. Every one of these names represent a person, a member of this crew, a shipmate. They were someone's someone. They were important! Everyone of them was important to someone....and we....we failed them." Hunt stood up straighter, taking a moment to catch the eyes of several in the audience. "As their names are read, remember them. Remember their accomplishments. Remember their potential. Remember their personalities. We cannot forget, or we will be doomed to repeat our history." As he concluded, Commander Asada, Trane and Elana stepped forward. Between the four of them, they would read off the names of the dead. "Kelly Aaryn. George Ashford. Teagan Ayrn...."

Though not religious, Freya closed her eyes as the names began to flow. Those that she'd known or treated flashed before her briefly, fading just in time for the next.

"Jane Colbert. Franklin Delaford...." Meng was now at the podium, pausing briefly between each name before reading the next. In the back of the room, a handful of children began to grow anxious. The list was long and wore on a child's patience much faster than an adult's.

"Theresa Ice. Andrea Kowalski. Corey Lee. Kara Lee...." When Andy's name was called, the newly reinforced engineering corps looked up toward the wall as a single unit. Mr. Trane had to pause after reading the names of the Lee twins to wipe his own eyes, they were only eight years old.

The names continued, filling the air and pressing in around them. Everyone was affected by someone's name more than the others; everyone struggled to keep their composure in the face of so much death.

"Gina Parsons. Bradley Seeford. Lana Swanson. James Tarn..." Meng stiffened as Lana's name was read by Elana. By now most of the children had sat down on the floor while the uniformed crew struggled to maintain their posture until the final name was read.

After the finale name, Casey Yates, was read, Captain Hunt stepped forward once more. "No loss or sacrifice should be in vain. Protect your fellows as if they are your kin." Without order, the crew snapped to attention while the children got to their feet. The chords of the funeral requiem filled the cargo bay.

As the final notes died out, the crew was dismissed and began to mingle or dissipate. Hunt chatted briefly with Elana and Trane before excusing himself. He approached Freya at the wall, startling her out of her reverie. "Doctor."

"Captain," Freya said, wiping away a single tear. Hunt seemed to be studying her, an aggravating feeling, so Freya turned her whole attention to him. "Something you needed sir?"

"Yes, though I have been debating if now is the best time," he said. When she didn't respond except to wait, expectantly, he continued, "Lieutenant Kowalski named you, as her Recipient."

It took Freya only a moment to realize his meaning, she nodded slowly. Somewhere, there was a crate packed full of Andy's things. And a letter for her from her best friend. Freya nodded, biting the inside of her lip. "Understood. Excuse me Captain," she brushed past him and narrowly avoided Meng as she exited the cargo bay.

------

Freya curled over the bin and tried to resist the urge to throw up. She'd failed twice already and couldn't imagine there being anything left inside her at this point. She swiped at the beads of sweat rolling down the side of her face and took several deep breaths. Finally, the urges passed and she carefully pushed the bin away before laying her head on the cool metal of the bulkhead.

She gave the large crate taking up her floor a sidelong glance. A couple crewmen had brought it up, at her request, nearly an hour ago but she hadn't mustered the courage to open it. "It's just stuff Freya," she scolded herself.

But it wasn't just stuff. It was Andy's stuff. And Andy was dead.

The nausea came back with a rush. Freya crawled over to the bin but after a shaky moment, managed to suppress the feeling. She dropped her head between her knees and would have been content to stay that way if the door hadn't chimed.

Freya seriously considered ignoring the visitor. The idea of standing up to open the door seemed to be entirely too much work. When the door chimed again, it was followed by fervent knocking. "Freya?" Meng. She should have known it was him.

"Come in," she muttered, barely loud enough for anyone to hear.

When Meng entered the room, his tall frame filled most of the frame, mercifully blocking the light from the hallway from flooding her tiny darkened quarters. "Freya?" He took in the scene with one quick glance and then knelt beside her, concern etched on his face.

"I'm fine," Freya lied.

"Yeah that's a lie. Come on," he slipped his arm under her shoulders, intending to support her as they walked to the bunk. Freya, however, had every intention of staying put and refused to stand. "Freya, you've been throwing up and you're running a fever. You need to get in bed and rest," Meng said, scooping her up into his arms since she refused to help. "See, I paid attention to your medic training too."

"Liar, you didn't come once," Freya said with a weak smile. "I'm not sick Meng...not like that anyway. So you can put me down now."

He crossed the space in a few strides and set her down on the bed, then knelt in front of her. "Then what Freya? I've seen you like this before...after the bombing of bay twelve..."

Freya groaned and dropped back onto the pillow. Facts and figures flashed across her memory, seventy one civilians dead, at least twenty children. She'd spent days trying to purge their burned faces from her memory, to no avail.

"It's not your fault Freya! None of them were your fault! If anyone should be shouldering blame it's me," Meng crawled into the bunk beside her, brushing the hair from her face.

Freya looked at him, opened her mouth to say something and then snapped it shut. "I have stuff to do," she pushed his arm off of her and scooted to the end of the bed to climb around him. The crate, Andy's crate, loomed in front of her though. Despite a surge of sickness, Freya bent over the keypad and typed in her authorization code while Meng watched from the bunk.

"You don't have to do this now Freya," Meng said. "It can wait until..." he grew silent, searching for the words. Until what exactly?

Freya ignored him and pushed the lid open, blocking him from view. Tucked into a pocket on the inside of the lid was a data pad that would contain Andy's letter. She stared at it, willing herself to pluck it from it's confines and read Andy's words. What would her friend have said to her? How long ago was it written?

"Alright, then I'll leave you to it," Meng said. Freya glanced up as he slipped through the doorway. He paused in the doorway and considered saying something more but finally just nodded and disappeared around the corner.

------

Liam closed up the panel outside the hologrid with a satisfied smile. "One more thing done," he said to himself, mental checking the repair from his frightfully long list. He grabbed his toolkit and turned to leave, nearly colliding with Freya. "Oh hey Doc."

"Hi Liam," Freya said, awarding him a small smile. "Is the grid working?"

"Yes'm, just fixed her up. Minor repair actually."

"Good," Freya said, fishing a small holostick from her pocket and slipping it into the control station. "Computer, initiate program. Liam," she turned back to the engineer, who was now moving off, "will you stay a moment please?"

"Sure Doc," he said, confused.

The doors slid open on command and the sounds of waves crashing against the shore and birds screeching in the sky met them. Freya and Liam exchanged a look and then peeked into the hologrid.

"Um, wow..." Liam said. Though the grid had been used to recreate a single room before, it had never been programmed for such an extensive scene. "You really are multi-talented Doc."

"This isn't mine. It's Andy's," Freya said, stepping beyond the doors. As soon as they were inside, the doors sealed closed behind them, disappearing behind the holographic representation of the beach.

A figure materialized in the distance and approached them, a bright smile on her face. "Welcome to Paradiso."

"Andy?" Freya gulped.

End Chapter

Project Unity: Rise of the Son, Chapter Eleven

Chapter 11



As the electrical charge surged through Julian's body, the monitors emitted a single beep before returning to the monosyllabic drone of a flat line. "Charge again," Hapsberg said, her own heart hammering in her chest. When the nurse nodded, she placed the paddles on his chest for the third time and said a silent prayer to whomever might be listening.

The initial beep was followed by several more in steady intervals signaling Julian Ice's return to life – such that it may be. "Okay he's back, let's get to work. What do the scans say?"

"The device appears to have fused to the spine and the electricity that passed to his brain has caused a bleed there," the nurse looked grim and started putting the scans up on the screens around the surgical bay.



"So even if he lives..." Doctor Hapsberg trailed off, her depressing thoughts were better left unsaid. "Where is Freya?" she asked, even as she picked up an instrument from the metal tray.

"Here," Freya said, pushing past the nurses huddled in front of the door. She was already gowned up and gloved. She took a moment to glance over the scans and then nodded, taking her place on the other side of the surgical table. "Bleed first?" Hapsberg merely nodded.



It was a couple hours before the medical team emerged from the surgical bay, everyone looking haggard and exhausted from the surgery that may have been for nothing. Two of the nurses moved Julian into one of the small isolated units while the doctors huddled together talking about the outcome. Tired of considering the possibilities, Freya pulled off her gloves and tossed them into the nearest bin.

"Hey Doc," Ash said from a nearby bed. He was looking much better and seemed to have recovered his casual smile. "I hear you led quite the coup."

"Really?" Freya said with a weak smile. She pulled up his chart on the data pad and glanced over his vitals. "Where'd you hear that? Medical ward the new gossip center?"



"It's what everyone is talkin' about. And I, for one, am glad you were on our side." He winced as she began poking at his abdomen and checking his healing progress.

"We're all on one side now," Freya said, a hint of sadness in her voice. What a price had been paid to get them here. "I think you'll be freed from my company soo...."

"Doctor!" The doors had hissed open, admitting one of the former Sons of Liberty. In his arms, he was carrying the limp form of Lana. Freya dropped the data pad on Ash's bed and ran over to help.

"What happened?" She asked, already looking over Lana's body for injuries. A deep gash on her wrist was still bleeding out.

"We just found her, in one of the solitary cells," he said, trying to catch his breath after setting her down on the floor.



Freya had clamped her hand over the wound to try and stop the bleeding. Though Lana's body still felt warm, there was no steady pulse of blood under the skin. Freya checked twice at the neck before falling back. "Who did this? She..."

"She was found with this..." he pulled out a long, thin dagger and Ash let out a hiss from where he'd watched the scene unfold. "She'd already...."

Hapsberg, who'd been seeing to Julian, came out in the midst of the scene. She confirmed Freya's findings with a scanner. "She's been dead less than an hour. If no one has seen her until now then...."

Freya nodded, scrambling away from the body and staring at her blood soaked hand. "Suicide..." she whispered, her stomach rolling. She barely managed to stand before the nausea overtook her.



"Are you okay Doctor?" Doctor Hapsberg was already coming at her with the scanner and Freya shooed her away.

"Yeah, I just haven't eaten in..." Freya closed her eyes, trying to will the nausea away.

------

Captain Hunt pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers and leaned against the conference table. "Well, what comes now?"



"Now Captain?" Meng asked, looking up from the data pad he'd been holding. Holding but not actually reading as his thoughts were wandering.

"The crisis with the aliens...the Koval," he said, recalling the name the Quuvarii had called them, "is over. The rebellion has ended and, with any luck, we'll be able to break away from this blasted moon soon."

"All good things. Of course there are a lot of repairs to be made – and rebuilding to be done," Meng said.

Captain Hunt nodded, "Honestly, this is not a position I'm accustomed to."

"And what position is that Captain?" Meng asked.

"Feeling as if I'm not in command on my own ship. Your Sons of Liberty have control of every department after all..."



"Freya assures me that you support equality...given Lady Ice's vitriol toward you, I'm inclined to believe her," Meng said, earning a smirk from Captain Hunt. "I'm not interested in your job Captain. Or telling you how to do your job."

"Well then I have a proposition for you Mr. Asada, which I hope you will agree to so we can reunite this crew."

"I'm listening," Meng said, leaning forward.

------

Thirty minutes later, the senior staff – such that it was – began trickling into the conference room. Captain Hunt was still standing near the head of the table. Meng had now assumed the chair to the captain's immediate left and trained his eyes on a spot across the room.

Freya, who had been prompted by Hapsberg to use the staff meeting as an opportunity to eat, was the last to come in. More than one pair of eyes watched as she took an empty chair beside Meng. She couldn't read their expressions, perhaps out of mental and physical exhaustion, so she ignored most of them.



After glancing Meng's direction once more, as if still expecting the former rebel leader to take charge, Hunt settled into his own chair at the head of the table. "Let's get started with a few announcements. By now you all know that the conflict with the Sons of Liberty has come to an end so we must all work toward becoming a cohesive crew once more. Mr. Asada," he motioned to Meng, though all eyes were already turned toward him, "has agreed to become my first officer and assume the newly created position of Tactical Officer. He will be granted the rank of Commander, effective immediately."

Commander Katou was the only one in the room to look truly horrified, "don't tactical operations generally fall under the purview of the security department sir?"

"Yes, but if we've learned anything from the last several months, it's clear that internal security and external tactical operations are two different things and need individualized attention. Speaking of security, the entire security team will be relieved of duty while we investigate allegations of misconduct on their part. Commander Asada will oversee the department until such time as a new security chief is appointed." Captain Hunt looked toward Katou, expecting another interruption, but she kept her mouth clamped shut.



"Other temporary changes: Lieutenant Jordan Dexter will be in charge of Engineering until Dex is back on his feet and Mr. Jamison will be our alpha shift helmsman in place of Mr. Ice. Lieutenant Franklin will take charge of the fighter squadron. Finally, the Council has been dissolved – though Mr. Trane will be a temporary representative of the civilian population until we finger out the specifics of a new system." Former Councilman Trane, who had been sitting quietly at the table, nodded as everyone turned toward him. "Any questions?"

"Is it true? What they're saying about a Quuvarii ship sir?" Jordan asked anxiously.

"Yes, after destroying the Koval ship, we were contacted by a Quuvarii vessel that is still a couple hours away. According to their captain, we're not the first ship the Koval have targeted like this. The virus is, apparently, their modus operandi. They play the wounded lion act to get access to an unsuspecting crew and plant the virus. The Quuvarii captain transmitted instructions on how to purge the virus from our systems I'd like you to look over," Hunt slid a data pad across the table to Jordan. She began reading immediately, with Liam hovering over her shoulder. "Make the virus your first priority, followed by primary system repairs."



"Understood sir," Jordan said, glancing up from the pad for a moment.

"We're facing a long road of recovery here – not only physically but emotionally. Aside from reintegrating the crew, we've lost many good people over the last few months, including three today..."

"Four," Freya said, interrupting and drawing the attention of everyone – even the engineers. Freya looked over at Meng for just a moment, pain in her eyes, before turning back to Hunt. "Lana Swanson was found in one of the isolation cells in the brig. She died before she was discovered."



"How?" Meng asked, his voice low.

"She had deep cuts on her wrist – they appear to be self-inflicted but we're not completely certain yet." A heavy silence fell in the room as the news sunk in. Despite her treachery to the Sons, Lana was a comrade of half the people in the room and no one wanted to believe she'd committed suicide.

"And your other patients?" Captain Hunt ventured, breaking the silence after several moments.

"Dex suffered a stroke following the assault in engineering. He is currently stable but serious. We won't know if there was any lasting damage until he wakes up but I think his prognosis is good. Ash has come out of surgery and is recovering, he should be cleared to leave the ward within another day. Commander Bonwick suffered severe burns, we'll have to use grafts for the more severe burns. She's stable as well, though serious of course," Freya said. "And Julian has come out of his surgery, though there may be more yet. We have no idea how much brain damage there was from the device. We'll know more if he wakes up."

The 'if' was not lost on anyone in the room.



The meeting broke up not long after that as everyone had places to be and things that needed doing. Before Freya could leave, Meng caught her by the arm and pulled her into the corner of the conference room. "What is it Meng? I'm exhausted." She yawned then, as if to reinforce her statement. "Or should I call you Commander?" she asked with a teasing grin.

"Where are you headed? Back to the ward?" Meng asked, ignoring the comment.

"To find a bed so I can sleep for a couple hours with any luck." In truth, Freya would have preferred to go back to the medical ward and sit vigil over her patients – particularly Julian and Dex, but Doctor Hapsberg had made it clear that she'd be kicked out if she came back anytime in the next six hours. "Doctors orders," Freya added with a chuckle.

"Come on, I have just the bed in mind," Meng said, placing his arm around her waist as if to guide her and probably intending to hold her up.

"That bed is rarely conducive to sleep," Freya said laughing. "I'll go back to my quarters....I think they're still my quarters anyway. Either way they have a bed – a single bed in fact. Wake me up when the Quuvarii arrive though?"

"You sure?" He didn't clarify which part he was questioning, the bed or the Quuvarii.



And Freya didn't respond. She gave his hand a light squeeze and then offered a weak smile. "See ya later Commander Asada."

------

As it turned out, Freya's former quarters were no longer hers and all the entrance codes had been changed. She considered forcing the door with a medical override but she didn't want to terrify whoever might actually be on the other side of the door. She knew there was an empty bed in the medical ward but was smart enough to realize she'd succumb to working instead of sleeping if she went there.

After a moment of indecision, her feet moved the familiar trip through the bowels of the ship. Hidden from view, no one stopped her or tried to get her attention. It wasn't until she entered the former head quarters for the Sons of Liberty that she realized where her body had taken her. Looking around the space, she felt all the emotion and all the action of the last twenty-four hours crash into her.



Had really been less than a day? How had everything changed so quickly?

Exhausted, she pushed all of it away and made her way to the room she and Meng had shared on more than one occasion. She hadn't actually intended to come here, to end up in this particular bed, but it welcomed her. She expected to be kept awake by her own thoughts and nightmares but the pillows still held his impression and the blanket still held his scent.

She fell asleep instantly.

------

"Freya...." Meng waited a moment to see if she'd wake up before gently shaking her.



Freya bolted up, eyes wide, "Wha!? Oh!"

"Morning," Meng said, struggling to hide a smile that was creeping onto his face. "I thought you said this bed was not conducive to sleep?"

"Well it is if you're not in it," Freya said as she rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Time for our visitors. The Quuvarii ship will be here in ten minutes – Captain Hunt has arranged for a small party to come aboard. Apparently they're quite fascinated by our existence. The Unity Project is something of myth in their history I guess."

"Is that really such a good idea? Inviting them aboard...?" Freya asked.

"Well it's been three hundred years, I imagine they've changed alm..."

"No, that's not what I meant. After what happened with the Koval I thought there might be a bit more hesitation about having 'visitors,'" Freya explained.

"Well, their suggestions for purging the virus have proven very useful and Liam says they might just have it cleaned out within a day," Meng explained.

Freya nodded slowly, "right. Okay....hey, you're wearing a uniform!" She scolded herself for not having noticed it right away but blamed the fact that she'd been in the midst of a really good dream when he'd woken her.

"I am. I am a Commander now after all," he said. Then he held up a small bag, "and I brought yours. Time to look like part of the crew again."

"Oh, thanks..." she looked at uniform as if seeing it for the first time. It seemed odd to think of putting it on again. "Meng..." she looked up, trying to put her struggling thoughts into words but was met with a kiss instead.



"Yeah?" he asked, after their lips parted.

Freya shook her head, "um, not so important." He looked at her confused, "how long did you say we have again?"

"Maybe half an hour?"

"That'll have to do then," Freya said grabbing a hold of his new uniform and pulling him closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and refused to let go, even as he started to resist. It didn't take long to bring him around to her way of thinking though.

------

Freya tugged at the jacket of her uniform, feeling awkward wearing it again after so many months. Beside her, Meng was fidgeting and pulling at the sleeves of his own uniform. Captain Hunt and Commander Katou stood along side them as well. Although the Captain had asked for someone from each department, the engineers had excused themselves of course. For a moment, Freya almost wished Haspberg was here in her place.



For the first time, Freya noticed Ansari standing at the controls. She was glad to see him alive and well but couldn't help but wonder if his presence was a ploy on Captain Hunt's part. Though what his thoughts were, she could only guess. Ansari smiled at her and then nodded to the Captain, "They're ready Captain."

After a habitual tug at his own uniform, Hunt returned the nod. In a moment, their guests materialized in front them.



"Fascinating," the voice belonged to the same captain who had initially contacted them. "Absolutely fascinating. Thank you for having us, I am Captain Alawi Nava," he motioned toward the two people who accompanied him to introduce them. "This," he turned to his left, where a tall Quuvarii male stood looking almost uninterested in everything, "is Niall, my security chief. And this is Aryn Darcy..."

"You're human," Commander Katou said, her face the picture of shock. Standing just behind the Quuvarii men was a small, blond woman with bright green eyes. She couldn't have stood out from her companions any more if she tried. If she hadn't been nearly completely obscured by the their frames, they all would have noticed her from the start.

"Indeed I am," the young woman said with a smile. "It would appear that we have even more in common than we thought," she added as her eyes fell on Ansari. "We were not aware of any Quuvarii on the Unity vessel when it left the Sol System."



Though Captain Nava seemed equally stunned by Ansari's presence, he put a hand on his officer's shoulder, "I think we will have plenty of opportunity to learn about each other in time Aryn." She nodded and fell back into her original spot just behind him.

Captain Hunt took his turn and motioned to Meng first, "this is Commander Meng Asada, my first officer. That is Doctor Freya Ryan, one of our medical staff and this is Commander Hoshimi Katou, my chief science officer." Though it was a second thought, he turned toward Ansari as well, "this is Mr. Ansari, one of a single line of Quuvarii descendants we have on board."

"Fascinating," Nava said once more. His obsession with the word was beginning to grate on Freya's nerves but she merely smiled.

They stood awkwardly together for a few moments before Hunt motioned toward the door, "why don't we take a small tour – the transporter room is hardly the place to get to know each other."

The human woman came up alongside Commander Katou and immediately struck up a conversation of their respective histories. Freya got the impression Aryn Darcy was a scientist as well and felt a kindred connection with Katou but couldn't be certain.



The two captains walked side by side as well, neither sharing too much but both clearly interested in the other. While Nava was absorbing everything they passed, Hunt was pay particular attention to the behavior of their guests.

Meng and Freya had fallen in behind Ansari and the silent security officer. Unlike the other two pairs, these two said nothing to each other beyond brief pleasantries. When they approached Engineering, Ansari made his excuses and disappeared from their group under the pretense of helping the engineering crew continue repairs.

"Repairs? Was the damage from the Koval extensive?" Captain Nava inquired politely.

"Not overly but due to the virus, our general maintenance has been put aside and many repairs have been delayed until now," Hunt said, as if he'd rehearsed the answer. It was a partial truth actually, merely left out the tiny detail of the rebellion that had done the majority of the damage to the ship recently.

"You and your ship would be welcome at Ne'Vha," Captain Nava said. "It is a planet nearby with an extensive population. In fact, you might find you have a great deal in common with the inhabitants," he glanced back at Aryn.



She was practically bouncing out of her skin at the prospect, "Yes! We have a full ship yard in orbit where your ship could be overhauled – as a generational ship, I imagine you do not have that opportunity often."

"You said we had something in common with the population," Freya chimed in, "do you mean there are more humans there?"

"Oh yes – the population is primarily mixed hybrids, Quuvarii/humans much like your Mr. Ansari. Though a small percentage are full human like Ms. Darcy and, of course, full Quuvarii."

"But how?" Meng was the one to speak up this time. He asked the question that had been burning in all of their minds since seeing Aryn Darcy step out from behind the Quuvarii in the transporter room.

"Your ancestors weren't the only ones to make it away from Earth that day," Captain Nava said, his smile dropping. "Many humans had been taken from Earth by my own ancestors – onto their ship in orbit. After the destruction on the surface, those humans, along with the Quuvarii survivors, left the system. Eventually they were forced to settle on Ne'Vha and, despite early conflicts, have been quite prosperous over the generations."

"I suppose they would be like cousins to us," Freya said. "Very distant cousins but still...."

"Perhaps it's time for a family reunion then," Captain Hunt said with a glint of excitement on his face.



End Chapter