Incoming Transmission...

**TPaine**

###Carrier detected...processing###
###Signal strength very weak....message corrupted###

Hep. Strnde. Sial fadig. On hr mx. n o O Ct. eal atin: axVe5. C' it ff Tsas...ed elp.

###Carrier lost###

**TPaine**

Locke stared at both of them hard. “You want me to what?”

Chaeron stared back passively, but confidently. “We need a ship for just a day. You know I’m good for it. I served you for 4 months as Captain of the Crimson Solace.”

“Need I remind you that your entire faction was torn apart by Merovingian operatives from within?” Locke asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Barachiel surged forward but Chaeron put an hand on his shoulder, one quiet glance asked him to calm. Chaeron was always the one trying to keep things calm and balanced - Barachiel was the one trying to unbalance them. The yin and yang of brothers.

“Commander, I’m not playing games here – I want that ship, and if I have to, I will go over you to get the Council’s approval on this -- You know how close Councilwoman Bray and I have become. She thought of Pria like a daughter – and you know how much time we’ve spent together since losing her.”

Locke’s muscles tensed, his jaw shook slightly. He looked like he was about to open up and punctuate his remark with a punch to Chaeron’s face -- when Chaeron held up his hand slowly infront of him and cocked his head just slightly to the side, as if to say ‘wait’. It was an oddly Morpheus-like gesture. Locke’s left eye twitched. Morpheus was not in Locke’s ‘good graces,’ assuming he had any.

Chaeron, however, did get his moment to continue. “However, Commander, I don’t want to do that. I don’t like attempting to usurp anyone’s authority. And I understand you’ve lost many men, especially since Merv and the Cypherites have been taking people from our cause one at a time, almost as bad as squiddies only more insidious.

“But, Commander, that’s why we’re doing this.” Chaeron continued. “Not just because Barachiel cares for her, not just because she’s a good officer, but because every person we lose to them is another small loss for the fleet. We’ve already lost ZRoe, the evidence for that is already in your hands – don’t sacrifice another good operative because we need to borrow a hovercraft for one day.”

Locke’s anger seemed to subside just slightly, and he glanced down. On his desk sat pads of losses, ship movements… missing persons.

“The squiddies aren’t coming anymore, Commander,” Chaeron said. “The war we face now is a war within. Give us a chance to save another good soldier.”

Locke glanced back up, setting his jaw. “Fine, but you hear this, Commander. You can’t have it both ways, Chaeron. If you want to preach to me about life and causes and soldiers, then you will join a ship. You will serve. I’ve heard about you whining in your quarters for weeks on end – that’s just as bad as if you became a Cypherite yourself. Stop moping about who you’ve lost – we’ve all lost people. Life must go on, soldier, or there’s no point to living. You sign on, or you don’t get any ship – that’s the deal.”

Bara smirked. “Wow, something I agree with. I couldn’t have said that better myself.”

Chaeron glanced to the Bara frowning, then turned to stare at the wall, closing his eyes. He nodded then looked Locke in the eye. “You make a powerful argument. It will be as you say.”

Locke handed him a datapad. “Then take the Hygeia. She was hauled into dry-dock when Captain TelAviv failed to report back to Zion as ordered. As long as she is out there unaccounted for, she is still a traitor in my eyes... no matter what evidence you claim to have found. I want her brough back to Zion for questioning as soon as you locate her. If she is not brought back in, I’ll demote you again. Get your asses moving, gentlemen. Bring me my soldier.”

After hours of searching, they received the call – Avat Rama, leader of the Omega Syndicate, had intercepted her distress call when she was on the run from ZRoe and his crew. Avat had managed to find her in time, barely conscious and holed up half frozen in a crawlspace. He took her onboard, and she spent the next two days recovering in his medical bay. Barachiel immediately changed course to intercept Avat’s ship.

“Welcome back Captain..?” Baraciel’s lips curled into a familiar grin, “Good to have you back onboard. Are you planning on staying long, or do you have any other masked lovers we should know about?”

Tel gave him a sideways glance and in her best commanding tone she replied, “That’s enough crewman...”
But she couldn’t help but smile. She had not known Barachiel long, but the chemistry between them was unmistakable.

She hugged Bara tightly and smiled. “Thank you for coming for me. This must be your brother, Captain Chaeron.”

“Commander, actually, I received a demotion for being … out of touch.” Chaeron said, face expressionless.

“Typical…” TelAviv quipped. I’m sorry I don’t have more time to get to know you, but we have things to do. I understand Paine has been accused of murdering Councilor Griffith. Now I’ve known Paine ever since I was awakened. There is no way he would do something like that in cold blood. First, and foremost we have to find Paine before the Special Ops team does.”

Barachiel chuckled. “You realize we are supposed to drag your cute little *CENSORED* back to Zion for questioning. Are you asking us to disobey an order from Commander Locke?”

“I suppose I am”, Telaviv smirked as she thwacked Bara on the arm and continued, “Zampano found him inside 01 and relayed his position in the Real. He’s being pursued by the special forces, and possibly ZRoe, as well. Let’s move.”

The Hygeia sped through the access tunnels towards the last known location of Paine.

On the bridge of the Hygeia, Chaeron leaned over the panel as Bara flew. “How long?”

“One minute sooner than the last time you asked me,” Barachiel sighed. “Focus on the retrieval, not my driving.”

Tel put a hand on Chaeron’s shoulder. “Relax Commander, I’m the Captain here, let me ask all the worrying questions,” she smiled, firmly but gently reminding Chae he no longer had command. Chaeron nodded and stepped back.

Chaeron examined the heavy-plasma gun he’d gotten, a little more punch than your average weapon. “The bigger guns were nice, but it’d have been nicer if Deadbolt had given us infantry.”

“Wait, whoah, stop your bitchin’ and drop your linen, what was that?” Barachiel asked, suddenly slowing the ship. He activated all the running lights and began scanning the rubble.

“There!” Tel pointed. A figure dashed between various chaff and debris into a very small access corridor, no doubt hoping no ship would find him –

Suddenly the roar of another hovercraft engine came TOO close as it leapt around the corner in the main shaft, nearly hitting the Hygeia head-on. Bara slammed it into reverse, but the aft of the ship wasn’t high enough off the ground and the Hygeia firmly embedded its aft into the ground.

The opposing hovercraft pulled back slowly, almost menacingly, scanning the small tunnel that Paine had escaped through, then raced forward. Two gunners fired several times on the Hygeia as they passed overhead, racing around the corner behind the Isis and turning right.

Chaeron glared. “They know an alternate route to intercept.” Without even thinking, he grabbed the commset from the roof of the cockpit.

Tel met his eyes and waited, a single look expressing both understanding and disapproval. Chearon calmed himself and handed the head set over. Tel pressed the button instead. “ENGINEERING, we’re showing that the rear hoverpads are offline, we need those things up *now*!” She disconnected and looked at Bara. “You’re in command - the moment this ship is running, you fly out there and you rescue us. Chaeron and I are leaving the ship to attempt to intercept the target before the enemy does.”

Bara blinked. “What? Fly the ship into danger? I might mess up my ship!”

Tel glared.

“Right. Rescue, sure thing.”

Paine gasped for air. He’d been running through a small service shaft, about a hundred yards long. He’d then taken one of the mains and had turned right, emerging into a new main that descended a bit. He’d been through here before in a hovercraft but it was never quite the same on foot.

Suddenly he heard a ROAR from the connecting tunnel beyond and to the left and when he looked up, the unmistakeable roar filled his senses and he looked directly into huge, bright lights shining directly at him. The hovercraft accelerated as he ran back towards the smaller shaft – but it was easily a hundred or more meters back. He ducked behind a particularly large piece of whatever-it-was on the shaft floor, hiding from the ship’s searchlights.

The hovercraft flew past him, then slowly began to turn. It knew where he was – he couldn’t have gotten far. As the craft began to accelerate, he looked for another place to hide – but there was just no time. He squeezed his eyes shut ---

Suddenly someone tackled him down to the ground and held him down. Paine twisted, trying to see who –

And was staring straight into the face of Tel. “Stay… down,” she whispered. Bullets began whizzing overhead when she heard the shrill whine of a plasma blast…

She glanced up to find Chaeron shooting at the ship with his heavy plasma gun! “What the hell–“

“Stay DOWN,” Chaeron yelled as another hail of bullets tore through the air where her head has just been.

Chaeron advanced towards the hovercraft, firing again and again, leaping between rubble along the Main’s floor, shooting at the weapons emplacements even as they fired at him. When he did manage to hit, gunbarrels melted, then exploded when the gunner tried to fire.

Chaeron yelled over the din of the active pads so close to him “RUN! *NOW*!” He opened fire with the heavy plasma gun again, targeting the hoverpads closest to him as the ship *kept advancing*!

Tel and Paine leapt off the Main’s floor, heading towards the service connection Paine had come from – it led not only to safety from the ship, but back towards the Hygeia if she wasn’t operational yet. As they ran, Tel called out – “GET BACK OVER HERE, SOLDIER! “

Chaeron disobeyed, yelling out, “COME ON, YOU BASTARDS, COME AND GET IT!!” And fired again, finally overwhelming the forward hoverpads with pure energy and forcing them to reset, the ship began falling out of the sky – Right at Chaeron.

Tel screamed out “RETREAT!!! THAT’S AN ORDER!” But it seemed too late already. Tel and Paine looked back from the safety of the small corridor and watched as the ship, haloed in bright running lights, fell and crashed with a thunderous roar, sliding quickly straight towards Chaeron as he tried to move—

As the lights got closer, Chaeron’s silhouette was eclipsed entirely.

Finally, the din of screeching, sliding metal ended. Small creaks of metal coming to rest echoed through the Mains as the ship’s power reset. The tunnel darkened with no lights to illuminate it any longer, and a quiet descended over the place.

Tel’s eyes went wide. “Bara’s brother… Oh god… What have I done…”

Paine turned to look at her. “He did what he did to save us, YOU Didn’t do anything, Sir. We have to go before they debark that ship.” Tel just stared… aghast. Paine yelled, “NOW, Sir!”

Suddenly something moved. Debris was shifting – That snapped Tel out of it. She leveled her weapon, aiming where she saw the most movement… daring anyone to come out…

A head popped over the last layer of debris and a dusty, grimy version of Chaeron’s face emerged as he climbed up the rubble toward them. “He’s right, we’d better get a move on before they get their airlock open,” He said as he climbed up into the shaft.

Tel eyes widened and she couldn’t help herself – she smiled. “I may be happy right now, but don’t you ever do that again, soldier! I gave you an order. You scared the hell out of me!”

“What?” Chaeron asked. “A guy can’t dodge a crashing ship? Please.” For the first time in a long time, a smirk spread over Chaeron’s face.