Project Unity: Search and Recovery, Chapter Six

Chapter Six

As the effects of the transport wore off, the team had materialized less than a dozen meters from the crash site. The heavily damaged shuttle pod lay half buried in sand but was still recognizable. "That's her," Liam confirmed.

"What are those?" Lieutenant O'Neill asked, motioning toward a small field of square metallic objects. "Debris maybe?"

Liam jogged across the sand toward the pieces. "They're the shuttle's solar panels!" he shouted back. The security pair joined him and surveyed the carefully laid out field, it was obvious they hadn't fallen in perfect order by chance. "Or were anyway," Liam added, kneeling down beside one. Every panel had been punctured and sliced with weapons fire. He reached into his bag to pull out a tool. A few moments later, the panel in front of him lit up faintly, showing a stream of data on a small screen. With a quick glance at his own chron, he glanced up at the Lieutenant. "Thirty-seven hours, I'd say these were all shot at about a day and a half ago."

"Does that mean there's someone else on this planet?" Skylar asked, nervously looking across the vast swaths of desert that surrounded them.

"More likely one or more of those weapons platforms came by," O'Neill concluded, looking, instead, toward the sky and drawing his own firearm. "Why would they move them? Couldn't have been easy prying them off the hull of the pod."

Liam turned his attention skyward, shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun. "Efficiency," he concluded. "The position of the pod wasn't ideal – considering this is only a little over half of one side of panels, they probably wanted to maximize the amount of energy they were pulling."

"Sounds like something Robert would do," Ben mused. "Come on, let's check out the shuttle."

"Funny. I was thinking it sounded like the Doc," Liam replied. Stepping carefully around the dead solar array, the trio made their way around the shuttle. Sand had blown in the open hatch, giving them a smooth ramp into the empty pod. "Well someone was here," he said, nudging the makeshift bed with his foot.

"Then where are they now?" Skylar asked, peering around the lieutenants timidly.

Lieutenant O'Neill said nothing as he pushed further into the small pod. Liam moved in the opposite direction, bee-lining for the computer console. "I've got some logs here," he called out, brushing the surface free of dust and sand. Without prompting, he started downloading them into a tablet to take back with them.

Ben, trailed by his trainee, knelt down to pick through the assortment of empty ration packs and the discarded medical kit. "A few days at most," he said, counting the packs again. "Assuming this is for both of them."

"I don't think it was sir," Skylar choked out, pointing toward the synthesizer's freezer component. Across the lid, in rushed, messy handwriting, were etched the words 'Here lies Captain Robert Hunt; Unity.' Tiny, dried bits of blood had fallen into the letters, as though the instrument used had cut the hands of the writer.

Liam came up behind them and sucked in a sharp breath as he read and reread the words.

Ben knelt beside the cooler and closed his eyes for a long moment of silence before hitting the release. Billowy gas filled the space for a moment before dissipating, giving them an unimpeded view of their captain. Slamming the lid shut, Ben looked over his shoulder toward Liam. "If I tag the whole freezer – can it be transported out of here?"

"No, it's bolted into the frame of shuttle. I could probably free it but – it would take time," the engineer said.

"O'Neill to Dareios, come in," Ben said, activating his comm link to the ship.

"Dareios here, go ahead lieutenant," replied Captain Kay. "Any luck down there?"

"We've found the pod. There's evidence that Doctor Ryan survived the crash and left the pod at some point. Can your scanners scan the surface for human life signs?" he asked as he opened the freezer component again to pin the tag to Captain Hunt's uniform.

There was a long moment of static before she replied, "we'll start the scan now, focusing on your general area. What about the captain?"

"Captain Hunt is dead," Ben replied somberly. "He's been stored in a freezer – I'm not sure for how long. Do you have some place to store his body so we can take him back to Unity?"

The line was dead silent for several minutes. "Please tag him and activate the tag Lieutenant," Fink said. "The captain will make sure his body is preserved appropriately."

"Roger that," Ben said, pressing the button on the tag and stepping back quickly. The transport activated almost immediately, whisking Captain Hunt away in a flash and shimmer of lights. "Any sign of our Doctor, Dareios?"

"Not yet," Fink replied. "Stand by."

"Two more platforms coming around!" Garren shouted over the line just as it was cut off.

"Lieutenant, there are still rations here – at least a few days worth. Why would she leave without necessary supplies?" Skylar asked, holding up a handful of packs for them to see.

Ben could only shrug, "I'm not sure. Hurley, anything in those logs that might tell us which direction to go?"

Liam was ashen faced as he turned toward them shaking his head. "She, she talks about hallucinations – something in the air. Maybe she didn't even realize she was leaving?"

"Or at least didn't expect to be gone for that long.. when was her last log entry?" O'Neill asked.

Liam scrolled through the text transcripts quickly until he came to the final entry. "One and a half days ago," he said, gulping as he turned to look out the window toward the damaged solar array she'd set up.

Skylar followed his gaze and gasped, "that's when..."

"Dareios to landing team, we're taking heavy fire up here and there's company coming! No sign of your doctor for at least a hundred kilometers in any direction. We need to get you out of there!"

"Freya mentions multiple times she broke her leg in the crash Lieutenant. No way she was going to walk more than a hundred kilometers in thirty-seven hours in her condition," Liam stated.

Ben nodded, but said nothing for a moment. "Did you get all the logs and crash data?" Liam nodded, getting to his feet and tucking the tablet into his bag. "Dareios, we're ready for transport," he said, as Liam and Skylar fell in beside him silently.

------

"Why are you doing this?" Doctor Azael asked. His hands were bound behind his back almost as soon as the landing party had transported away. All the weapons platforms had been called off, though occasionally Garren deployed a decoy to maintain the act.

"Well why does anyone collect on a bounty?" Kay asked, her feet up on her console as she waited for the Xinji retrieval squad to show up. "Money. Someone wants you down there badly – did you know there was a price on your head – from the Xinji of all people?"

Doctor Azael nodded, "I was aware, yes."

"Why would you settle on Ne'Vha then? That seems rather stupid on your part I have to say," she said with a chuckle. "All the better for me though. This'll be the fastest fifty thousand I've ever made."

"What about the team on the surface? Are you planning to leave them down there?"

Kay looked offended, "of course not! I'll return them safe and sound to their vessel if all goes well."

"And what will you tell them? When they come back and I'm not here?"

The captain merely shrugged, "I hadn't really thought about it much. Any ideas?"

Before Azael could respond, the comm link from the surface activated. He watched in horror as they promised to scan for Freya but made no actual attempt to do so, even grinning at one another as they pretended to press invisible controls. But all humor ceased as Lieutenant O'Neill announced Captain Hunt's death. In front of him, Kay slammed her fist into her console and jumped to her feet. As she rushed past him, Azael was certain she was crying. He stood by helplessly as Captain Hunt's body materialized on the transport pad and Garren loaded it onto a small anti-grav unit. He returned only a few minutes later – having turned his charge over to Captain Kay no doubt – and resumed his seat.

"The retrieval squad says they're in range," Fink whispered, glancing over at Azael anxiously.

"Impossible, they're on the other side of the planet. I can't even see them..." Garren protested. Fink shrugged and pointed at his screen where the communication had come in. As per usual, the Xinji kept their distance and relayed their messages via text.

"You should demand more," Azael offered, trying to delay the exchange. "Tell them 'the family is willing to pay a ransom of double,'" he added, imagining his brother's outrage at the thought.

"Shut up!" Garren scowled, jamming open a comm link to the hold. "Captain, the Xinji are within range to transport."

"They won't pay from this range, they're counting on you to be stupid and send me first. They can unleash the weapons platforms and blow you out of space without having to pay," Azael persisted, even after Kay returned to the forward compartment.

Though Garren ignored him, Azael could see he'd caught Fink's attention. "He says some family will pay a ransom worth more," he said, as Kay took her seat at the first station."Should we try for a higher bounty? They've sent another message, demanding that we transport Tierran Azael immediately."

"Demanding," Kay scoffed. "This is my negotiation – they have no place to make demands."

"There are two weapons platforms headed our way," Garren reported. "Should I deploy decoys?"

"Yes," Kay said as Azael shook his head and said, "it won't work..."

As he anticipated, the decoys flew right past the platforms and were ignored completely. "How did you know?" Garren demanded.

"Those two have been given specific orders – namely this ship. You've left them waiting too long. My people are not a patient sort," Azael offered with a grim smile.

"YOUR people?" Garren and Fink asked at once.

For her part, Captain Kay was not surprised by the revelation. "Open a link to the retrieval squad. Tell them we require half the bounty before transport and the other half after. And tell them to call off their dogs," she snapped.

"What's a dog?" Fink whispered, though no one responded.

"The weapons platforms have stopped their approach," Garren reported happily.

"Tell the team I offered myself as a prisoner – in your place," Azael suggested. "For your safe passage out of the system."

Kay nodded, "yes I think I will. Thanks for the suggestion doctor," she said, as a crate materialized on the transporter pad. She and Garren jumped up to move it aside. Peaking inside, she smiled triumphantly. "Up up Doc – it's your turn now," she said directing him toward the center of the pad. She slapped a transport tag on him and pushed the button to activate. "Fink, let them know he's ready for transport. Garren, stay on alert in case we need to make a quick escape."

Within seconds of relaying the message, Doctor Tierran Azael disappeared. True to their word, another crate materialized on the pad to complete the bounty. Garren jumped to his feet to pull the second crate away and nodded to Fink. "Dareios to landing team, we're taking heavy fire up here and there's company coming! No sign of your doctor for at least a hundred kilometers in any direction. We need to get you out of there!"

"Garren, stow those out of sight in the hold," Kay commanded as she triggered the release of a couple more decoy buoys. In the few minutes the team on the surface spent wrapping up their mission, Garren had tucked the crates full of gem stones into the corner of the hold and returned to the forward compartment in time for their return. "Strap in!" Kay shouted, barely giving them time to move before careening away from the planet.

The three bounced over each other, still suited up, until they could grab hold of a strap and buckle in. "Where's Doctor Azael?!" O'Neill called.

"Bit busy at the moment!" Kay shouted, making a sudden jerk as if evading a shot. "Asteroid field coming up, hang tight everyone."

"Weapons platforms have broken off pursuit," Garren said with a small, triumphant whoop. "We're clear of Xinji space. Setting return course to Ne'Vha now."

Kay allowed the ship to coast toward the asteroid field, knowing she had just a few minutes, before turning toward the returned trio. "Apparently Doctor Azael IS a Xinji – the only one to have ever left the system. He offered himself as their prisoner for our safe passage out of the system."

"Safe? Doesn't seem like they kept up their end of the deal!" Liam snapped.

"We're alive and out aren't we?" Garren growled. "They could have sent a whole volley of those platforms after us AND followed along with a squad of manned fighters. Evading a few of them is about as safe as it could be."

"Garren's right – though he could check his attitude," Kay growled. "It was the doctor's choice to stay behind. We were outnumbered by a dozen to one at least and were sure to be plastered across the surface of that planet ourselves if he hadn't." On cue, her console began beeping, effectively ending the conversation as she began to navigate through the asteroids.

Everyone watched in muted reflection as the ship threaded through the asteroids. Kay exercised more caution this time, giving each rock a wide berth, so the overall trip through took nearly an hour. As they watched the last of the asteroids pass by the side windows, O'Neill unstrapped his harness and got to his feet. "I need to contact Unity and inform them of the mission outcome."

"Of course," Captain Kay stood and rapped on Fink's console. "Fink, can you raise a link to Unity for the Lieutenant? You should let him know we ought to be there in about twenty-eight hours." Flipping the pilot controls over to Garren, she slipped past the Unity team into the back hold.

"Hmm? Oh sure, right-o," he said, sitting up straighter. "Coming up on the main screen."

As soon as the link had been established, Liam and Skylar took up positions behind O'Neill. "Commander," he said, as Meng's face filled the screen. "We are on our way home. While we successfully located the shuttle pod, we discovered that Captain Hunt perished during the crash and Doctor Ryan, presumably, died some days later. We have recovered the captain's body but the doctor was not in the shuttle." Before Meng could respond, Ben pushed on with his report. "From orbit, the Dareios scanned over one hundred kilometers in every direction surrounding the crash site for life signs and found none. Given her condition, it is highly unlikely she could have traveled farther than that."

"What condition?" Meng asked quietly.

O'Neill turned toward Liam, who stepped forward. "Recovered log entries from Fr.. Doctor Ryan, indicate that she had a severe abdominal wound and a broken leg from the initial crash. Her last entry was thirty-seven hours prior to our arrival and recorded in the shuttle."

"I'm sorry that we couldn't recover her body Commander. The Dareios was under fire from Xinji and we needed to retreat," O'Neill chimed in, wishing he could offer more. "According to Captain Kay, we will arrive in approximately twenty-eight hours."

"Understood," he murmured, struggling to keep his face stoic while his body trembled. "Anything else?"

"Doctor Azael, who confessed to being Xinji himself, offered himself as a prisoner in exchange for our safe passage. Captain Kay will have to brief you on the particulars – as I wasn't on board at the time," Ben added.

Although Meng was curious about this turn of events, he desperately wanted to end the conversation so he nodded. "I'll get both reports upon your return. Unity out."

Ben let out a long, slow breath and then turned toward the back hold. Liam and Skylar moved to follow obediently but he held up a hand to stop them. "I need... I need a moment. Robert Hunt was a friend." In the hold, as he'd expected, he found Kay leaning over the captain's body. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed and his minute steps were masked by the sound until he was right behind her. "He would have been proud of you."

Kay whipped around, her eyes wide and then started to swipe at the tears on her cheeks. "Excuse me?"

"Your father, Robert would have been proud of you Kieran," Ben said, stepping around to the other side of the body. On closer observation, Ben noted a nearly invisible cover across the whole platform, encasing Captain Hunt for preservation.

"How... I didn't think anyone recognized me?" Kay stammered. "You never said anything..."

"Not my secret, not my place unless it's mission critical," Ben said with a slight shrug. "I knew you looked familiar from the start but I couldn't place you."

"Then when?" she asked, stunned.

"When I watched you fly through those asteroids. You fly like your brother did – Darius was always pushing the edge. Of course then there's the name of your ship – close but not a dead give away," Ben said with an appreciative smile. "The real question is, why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I think I would have – if we'd found him alive," Kay said, laying a hand on the clear cover. "I may yet still I suppose. I thought, I thought Unity was behind me. And then you all showed up so I stayed away for weeks. I make runs to Ne'Vha all the time but you were always there and I wasn't ready for someone to recognize me."

"Fair enough," Ben said, adding his hand to the cover near hers. "I'm sorry we couldn't find him alive," he whispered.

New tears swelled in her eyes, "when Aryn called and told me it was Unity's captain – I wished that maybe he'd stepped down and retired. Just so it was someone else – anyone else. I never expected to see him again and then, for a moment, I imagined what it would be like to get a hug from my dad again."

With nothing more to say, Ben laid a hand on her shoulder and gave it a long squeeze before leaving her alone. He'd barely made it to the hatch before he heard the crying start anew.

------

Meng sat, gripping the arms of the center seat, for almost a half hour after the away team had reported in. The handful of people on the bridge at the time dissolved into nothingness to his mind. Some may have left and already told others but most stayed, looking to him for direction, waiting for his reaction. Finally, barely trusting his legs, Meng pushed to his feet and made eye contact with each person on the bridge. "Lieutenant Jamison."

"Sir?"

"Please inform the crew that they should expect a ship wide address shortly. Patch it through to all crew members, both on board and on the surface," Meng said. He closed his eyes and took several slow, steadying breaths. Even after receiving the signal from Jamison, he waited a few minutes in hopes that everyone would already be sitting down. With one final tug of his uniform, he nodded to Jamison. "My fellow crew mates, it is with a heavy heart that I must report the death of two of our own. The shuttle pod carrying Captain Robert Hunt and Doctor Freya Ryan to the Ulsyth Medical Station crashed on the Xinji planet Klext ten days ago. A rescue team, led by Lieutenant Benjamin O'Neill, was dispatched, however, there were no known survivors. Captain Hunt's body has, thankfully, been recovered and he is on his way home now. A memorial service will be planned and announced soon. All training schedules for the next forty-eight hours are canceled." Though the transmission ended, Meng couldn't bring himself to move, instead standing like a statue in the center of the bridge. "Lieutenant, issue the general recall. I want everyone back on board as soon as possible," he said finally, turning toward Jamison.

Meng retreated into Captain Hunt's office – the closest possible escape in which he could lock himself away. Instead of being a relief, he found the walls claustrophobic. "Arrrrgh!" He lunged at the desk, no longer able to control the build of emotion and started chucking the stack of tablets across the room. First one at a time, as they made a comforting CLANK, and then by the fistful, until the desk sat empty save the computer screen.

Defeated and spent, he dropped to the floor in a heap. And that's where he stayed.

End Chapter

Project Unity: Search and Recovery, Chapter Five

Chapter Five

"Freya! What do you think you're doing?"

Freya looked up from her position on the ground and there he was, standing in the middle of the pod with his usual look of bemusement. For a brief moment, she knew it was wrong – him standing there – she couldn't pinpoint WHY it was wrong, but she knew it was so her brow furrowed. "Robert?"

Captain Hunt shook his head, chuckling, as he knelt beside her and started to wrest the wrench from her hands. "YOU should be resting," he commanded, helping her up from the ground.

"But the water purifier..." Freya argued, trying to pull away from him and return to the task. It was VERY important that the she unclog and clean the filters. Although, at the moment she couldn't think why it was so important. Puzzled, she allowed herself to be redirected toward the bed, putting much of her weight on his shoulders along the way.

"I will take care of the machinery. You did good enough getting us back here and setting up camp," he insisted. Freya frowned, trying to recall how they'd come to be back in the pod exactly. The last thing she could remember clearly was the oasis. She rubbed her forehead in frustration and let out a low growl. Robert jumped and spun toward her, "what's wrong?! Does your leg hurt? Is it the baby?"

Freya looked down at her abdomen and was shocked to see it had grown overnight – or at least since she could last remember. She looked to be at least six months along! "How long have we been here?!"

Robert cocked his head to the side and frowned, "what do you mean how long? You've been here with me the whole time Freya... it's been four months since the crash."

Her eyes grew wide and she shook her head violently. "No, not possible! We didn't have nearly enough food!" she exclaimed. "And they would have come by now..." she added with slightly less certainty.

"Freya, are you alright? We've been doing okay food wise – there's a bit of small game around and fruit. Plus, after you suggested pulling the solar panels off the hull, we got this place back up to almost eighty percent power so the synthesizer is back online. Granted, we only use it in a pinch to save the components..." Robert was gazing around their makeshift home with appreciation, clearly pleased with what had been accomplished during their stay. "As for rescue – you know as well as I do they'd never get through the weapons. That's why we left the hazard beacon on..."

Freya closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to remember anything he was saying but it was all blank. They were shot at, they crashed, they went to the oasis – that much she could recall. "I don't understand..." she muttered.

Robert leaned over her and pulled out the familiar medical injector. "Why don't you try to get some sleep? I'll get the purifier back online in no time." She didn't try to stop him when he pressed the device to her neck and she didn't resist the comforting pull of slumber, even as her son started to squirm in her belly.

------

"I wanted to thank you for selecting me for this mission Lieutenant," Skylar Fremont said, trying to sound both grateful and confident in spite of the jumble of knots twisting in her stomach. "I appreciate the opportunity."

"Don't thank me yet Fremont," Lieutenant O'Neill said, sparing her a brief glance. "May want to wait until we survive... or don't." The knots twisted harder and she bit the inside of her lip to fight back the sudden urge to throw up. "Think of it as on the job training."

"Can I ask," her voiced squeaked. "Can I ask why me sir? I mean why'd you pick me?"

"You can ask – but I don't plan to tell you," O'Neill said, grabbing the hand rail above them to remain steady as he walked back toward the hold. Unlike Unity, Captain Kay's ship, the Dareios, jostled them around as it sped through space and the captain made no attempt to warn them as she made sharp turns or sudden slow downs. Ben imagined flying with her was akin to riding with a race car driver from the handful of recordings he'd seen – dangerous, but fast. Kay assured them they'd get to the Xinji system within a day 'if the solar winds blessed them.'

Within the back hold, Liam was attempting to teach Doctor Azael how to play checkers with a bunch of cogs and bolts they'd scrounged but the pieces kept sliding around on them. "Where'd this woman learn to fly?" Liam was thrown from his crate and barely caught himself on the netting that secured the decoy beacons.

"At least we will arrive quickly," Doctor Azael said, offering a smile to the pair of officers. "By my understanding, one of your shuttle pods is equipped with minimal emergency rations and your captain and doctor have already been missing for ten days now. They will run out quickly if they survived."

"Is there any life at all on this planet?" Liam asked as he scooped the cogs and bolts into a bag. "Perhaps they could find more food if anything grows?"

Doctor Azael's brow furrowed for a moment before he shook his head. "I think not – but I cannot say for certain."

"Well how could you?" O'Neill said, "you've never been there." Doctor Azael said nothing, instead busying himself with returning their chairs, also known as crates, to their rightful places. Meanwhile, Skylar stumbled through the hatch, careening toward the deck as the ship jerked. "Fremont! What are you doing?"

"I... uh...." she tried to get to her feet and then tumbled again. Liam covered his mouth to hide his grin as the young trainee tried to right herself once more and finally got to her feet. "Sorry... sorry..."

Ben mentally counted to twenty and reminded himself of all the reasons he had chosen Fremont over the other trainees. In spite of her awkward mannerisms, she had been one of the steady pacers during every physical training he'd put them through. She scored exceptionally well on every test she'd been handed and had the potential to do well in any field she chose. Fact was, he suspected she'd outgrow security eventually and wanted her to see that sooner rather than later. By the time he'd finished his list, she was standing taller and looked almost comfortable. "Did you need something Fremont?"

"Garren," Skylar pointed toward the hatch she'd just fallen through, "suggested we all strap in. Guess it's gonna get rough?"

"Is that to say it hasn't been rough already?" Liam quipped with a grin. He offered Skylar a steadying arm and led her back to the bridge while O'Neill and Azael trailed behind them.

------

The shuttle was silent and dark again as Freya returned to consciousness. She kept her eyes shut, listening to occasional beep from the life support system and the faint hum of the synthesizer. It was important that both those systems – above all else – continued to work. Confident that all was right in her little abode, Freya opened her eyes and glanced around. "Morning sunshine," Robert said, immediately scooping up a metal tray of food to offer to her. "You've been asleep for nearly a whole day, you must be starved."

As if on cue, her stomach rumbled and she took the proffered meal. Though she couldn't even recall the name of the green, leafy vegetable or the taste of the purplish berries, she knew she liked them. She could imagine they'd found them in the oasis - although when or where exactly eluded her completely. As she slowly ate the food, she eyed Captain Hunt, with her brow furrowed. This was all wrong.

"Freya? Are you alright? Does your head still hurt?" he asked. He got to his feet and started messing with what appeared to be a stove top near the front of the pod. "How about some tea? With that orange bark – you said it was good for pain right? Or was it the leaf of that bush at the edge, I think we have some of those too." Freya stared at him, willing his words to make sense, but she couldn't recall any of the plants he described, let alone her analyzing them for medicinal properties. "Which one was it?" he asked, turning back to her expectantly.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about Robert. I don't remember," she said finally. Her meal forgotten, Freya dropped the berry in her hand and buried her head in her hands. "This is all wrong," she muttered over and over again.

Robert abandoned the tea and knelt in front of her, grabbing her hands and pulling them away from her face. "Freya, calm down. What's all wrong?"

"This! This is wrong!" She ripped her hands from his and motioned frantically around the shuttle. "I don't remember four months! I don't remember any of this! You.... you!" As a brief memory flashed across her mind, she scuttled back from him, her eyes wide. "You died Robert!" she whispered, tears stinging her eyes. "You died in the crash and I put you in there..." she turned toward the synthesizer in horror. "I came back to the ship alone – I was looking for you – and you were still in that chair. I had to cut you down and...." By then the swell of emotion overwhelmed her and tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Choking back sobs, she watched as the scene around her dissolved.

Robert, just inches from her, disappeared. The almost serene camp they'd set up was replaced with darkness and the lingering scent of charred components. Freya blinked several times before getting up, trying to collect her bearings. "Computer," she choked, swiping at the very real tears still on her face, "record log. The hallucinogenic has infiltrated the pod now – I can no longer be sure of what is real or fabrication. Before I lose complete control of my mind, in case rescue doesn't get here in time..." she trailed off, considering her words carefully. "I'm sorry Mom, I know we argued before I left and I'm sorry I didn't give you more time. As for you Meng – it's a boy, I bet he'd look like you. You're a good man and I'm sure you will command Unity with dignity and ease. I love that about you, I noticed it from the first time I saw you and I..."

Her words were cut off by the familiar zip of a flying weapons platform. This time though, instead of flying by her wrecked home, it let out a volley of shots. "Critical power failure," the computer announced. "Life support power failure expected in three minutes, fifty-nine seconds... eight... seven..."

Freya scrambled to her feet, wincing in the process. Through the forward window she could see the solar panel field she spent the day before crafting was sparking and smoking from the weapons fire. Almost every panel had a fresh hole in it and the electronics inside had no doubt been fried. She watched in dismay as the platform spun away, its mission accomplished. Freya sank into a chair and groaned, even as the computer continued to warn her about her impending doom. "Cue hallucination-bonanza in five, four, three...."

She broke off her countdown as the hatch flew open in a flurry of weapons fire.

------

Lieutenant O'Neill gripped the overhead rail as the ship dodged another small asteroid. "You really should strap in Lieutenant," Captain Kay shouted over the blaring proximity alert. "It's gonna get worse before it gets better!"

"I'm fine," O'Neill said, barely sparing a thought for the row of passenger seats behind him. It took them twenty-three minutes to navigate the field of asteroids and, as near as Ben could tell, Kay took great delight in skimming the surface of each one.

Just clear of the field, Kay knocked the ship in to coast and the rest of the team slowly got to their feet. "Well there she is," Kay said, leaning back in her seat. "A click or two more and the platforms would be on us, we'll be safe here for the moment. That one there," she said, tapping the panel in front of her, "is our first – and hopefully ONLY – target."

"What if we don't find them there?" Skylar asked in a minute voice. "I mean – it's only a one in three shot right?"

"It's the best shot," Kay said simply.

"Are you picking up a signal of any sort?" Ben asked, leaning closer to survey the panel screen. To his left, Garren shook his head after a moment. "This may all be for nothing then. How close do we need to be to scan the surface?"

"More than a couple clicks," Garren said, rolling his eyes. "Those platforms will be on us in minutes at most and there's a lot of surface to scan."

Kay glared at him but didn't argue. "I'd like to come around on the far side – won't stop the platforms from tracking us but will slow down their call home when they spot us."

"Are the Xinji likely to send reinforcements?" Ben asked.

"Probably not – but that doesn't mean they aren't capable," she replied. "As soon as we get close enough, we'll start the scan. I can transport the four of you to the surface if we find any sign of your shuttle."

"Transport?" Skylar squeaked, her eyes grew wide and her stomach began to churn again. "We won't be landing?"

Kay shook her head and Garren stifled a laugh. "Too risky – transporting means we can stay mobile and get out of here in a flash if we get overwhelmed. It's perfectly safe," she concluded, trying to reassure her.

"I think it would be best to go in environmental suits," Doctor Azael chimed in. "While the atmosphere is not deadly it is... unhealthy."

"I've got three in the back you're all welcome to – means one of you will need to stay on board though," Kay offered, glancing back at the team.

"Doctor, you stay behind," O'Neill commanded. Immediately the doctor began to protest but the Lieutenant cut him off. "You'd be limited in what you could do with heavy environmental gloves on correct?" Although Azael nodded, he tried to press the issue only to be stopped once more. "As soon as we find them, you'll be able to transport them up Captain?"

"As long as we're not under heavy fire, yes. Slap a tag on them and activate it – we'll bring them right up," Kay said.

Doctor Azael's usual smile turned to a scowl, "I could at least stabilize them, if needed. Before transport."

"If they're down there, they've been down there for at least ten days Doc. They're either dead or relatively stable – stable enough." Decision made, Ben motioned for the other two to head back toward the hold to suit up. "You can do more good up here I think Doctor."

"He's right," Kay said. She watched as Lieutenant O'Neill joined his team and then turned her attention toward the doctor. "I picked you for a reason Azael. You know that." Without further explanation, she turned back to the control panel and started maneuvering the ship closer to the planet. "Garren, grab me a pebble."

A few minutes later, they were dragging a small asteroid toward the planet and Doctor Azael watched as it was flung away from the ship. The two nearest weapons platforms zoomed after it as programmed and their line of sight to the planet was clear. "You've done this before," he noted with mild surprise.

Suited up, the team returned to the bridge and watched as the ship zoomed, unimpeded, toward the closest planet. "Initiating scan," the third crew man called out. "At least she's unpopulated, easy to pick out any anomalous readings."

"We THINK she's unpopulated, don't get too cocky Fink," Kay commanded. "And I'm sure our pod is not the only crash site down there."

"You're right, I'm already getting a dozen different pings on the continent. Any thing I could be looking for that would make your pod stand out from the rest?" Fink asked, looking over to O'Neill, who, in turn redirected his attention to Liam.

Liam paused to consider and then nodded eagerly. "The scrithinite shell!"

Fink stared at him for a moment, his mouth hanging open, before turning toward his captain. She chuckled and shrugged. "I don't know what that is..." he said finally.

Liam frowned, "of course you don't. Why would you? Let me see," he said, pushing the young crew man away from his own console to input a set of variables. "It's a super lightweight metal alloy we picked up decades ago from the Tivalli – we've been using it ever since for pods and fighters because it's so durable. There," he said proudly, pointing at the screen. "I can't imagine many Tivalli have crashed on this planet!"

Almost as soon as Fink resumed his search with the new search parameters, Garren shouted, "incoming platforms! I think they got bored of the rock!"

"How many?"

"Two, no make that four. They'll be within range in twenty seconds," he replied. "I have decoys one and two already prepped for launch."

"Deploy them and get another pair ready," Kay commanded. "Lieutenant, I suggest you and your team get on the transport pad – if we find your shuttle, I don't want to waste time. In that locker, you'll find a box of tags," she said, pointing to the small locker beside the pad. Fink – update?"

O'Neill pocketed three tags and then handed three to each of his team who followed his lead. Any unused would be returned. Then the trio collected their helmets and waited.

"I think I've got something!" Fink called eagerly. "Yes... yes... yes! It's either your pod of some other weirdo who's got your scrit... scrith?? Your metal alloy. Sending you the coordinates now Captain."

"Decoys working for the moment Capt'n. Three and four are in the shoot and ready for launch," Garren reported.

Kay nodded and swiveled around to her guests. "We'll hold them off as long as we can but when I say we need to run, you all are coming back with or without your package. Make sure you turn the comms on in your helmets so we can all hear each other."

Helmets on and activated, O'Neill nodded. "We're ready Captain, set us down as close as you can."

"Aye," she said, twisting back to her own console. "Activating transport now." Just as they started to disappear, the shipped was rocked with a glancing blow. "Garren! Deploy another decoy and get that bird off our side! Fink, did the team reach the surface?"

There was a long moment of silence in spite of the chaos before he nodded. "Picking up all three of their suits Cap. Just a dozen meters from the site."

"Bird took the bait, looks like decoy one was destroyed but decoy two is still in play. Three has a couple followers on its tail," Garren said, watching both his screen and the view port in front of them.

"Excellent, excellent..." Kay said. "Fink, keep an eye on our team. Garren, open a channel to the Xinji home world. Inform them that we have Tierran Azael on board and are here to collect the bounty."

End Chapter

Project Unity: Search and Recover, Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Newly minted Lieutenant Ben O'Neill watched from the sidelines as his potential security team ran laps around the deck. The two holdovers from Bonwick's reign easily lapped the trainees multiple times and were only now starting to slow down. A trio trailed behind them, desperately trying to keep up with the veterans while still leading the pack of newbies. At least two of the more average runners had kept a true and steady pace, albeit slower, maintaining their stamina for the whole run. "Stop draggin' your cheeks on the deck!" O'Neill shouted, earning a large push from the trio, a marginal push from the steady pair and several audible grunts from the rear of the pack. As his only current officers passed him once more, he waved them over. "Get a shower and back to the office, you've done your part here," he said.

With a snappy nod, the pair jogged toward the door only to be pushed back by a frantic yeoman on the other side. "Chi... er... Lieutenant O'Neill?!"

"Over here!" O'Neill called, turning to face the newcomer. He vaguely recalled the kid hovering in Commander Asada's shadow from an earlier trip to the bridge.

"Commander Asada needs you," he stammered. "Immediately."

"Aye, tell him I'm on my way," O'Neill said, turning back toward the trainees. They'd all visibly slowed without his watchful gaze on them and panicked as soon as they saw him watching. "Y'all don't stop running until you're dead on the deck!" he bellowed. "Computer, raise the temperature five degrees every ten minutes." He heard the beep of acknowledgment just as he left the gym.

When O'Neill found Meng finally, the commander was staring up at an empty screen in the astrometrics lab. There were crates scattered around the room and a few wires were still peeking from the conduits – obviously still waiting for their hardware. "When I came down here, it didn't occur to me that it wasn't finished," Meng said, swiveling around to face the security chief. "I need you to assemble a team."

"Working on it," O'Neill said grumpily, narrowing his eyes. "Still running 'em through training. Got a few potentials on the hook though..."

Meng waved his words off, "not that team. No, a team for a mission," he paused, waiting for the inevitable questions. For his part, Ben O'Neill said nothing, simply waiting. "Captain Hunt's shuttle is missing. Possibly attacked en route to the hospital. I need someone to go bring him and Doctor Ryan home." Sensing his hesitation and impending argument, Meng held up a hand to stop it before it began. "I'd do it myself if I could... in fact I'd rather it be me but Unity is already short her commanding officer."

"How are we getting there? The pods are either being used to shuttle people from the surface or under retrofit," O'Neill asked, already thinking about the formation of the team.

"Working on that still. Worst case – Unity goes and we rush the retrofit on Pod Three en route," Meng said, imagining the panicked looked Jordan would give him when he told her she had less than forty-eight hours to make a shuttle airborne again.

"And best case?" Ben pressed.

"An ally of an ally may come through," Meng replied. "Assemble your team lieutenant. Your medic and your engineer will be the toughest given the circumstances. Make sure they've got go bags ready – you may be leaving with very little notice." Without further instruction, Meng pushed past him at a brisk pace, already moving on to his next problem.

Lieutenant O'Neill nodded, "alright then," he muttered to himself before turning to follow the commander out of the lab.

------

Aryn Darcy caught up to Meng as he slipped into the lift. A frantic private – her escort – was trailing several paces behind her. To his relief, Meng dismissed him and assumed responsibility over their guest within the lift. "I've just heard from Kay!" Darcy exclaimed, leaning back against the lift wall as she caught her breath. "I came to find you immediately but you weren't in your office and then someone said you were in the security office but..."

Meng cut her off, "and? What did she say?"

"Oh! She's willing to help! In fact, she's only a couple hours out now. She just finished a trade run and confirmed what we already knew – there's been no sign of the shuttle pod beyond Xinji space," Darcy said. "She can take a team of four – and she specifically requested Doctor Azael be one of them."

"Why?" Meng asked, furrowing his brow. "Has she met him before?"

Darcy shrugged, "I'm not really sure – she probably has. She has a warehouse on Ne'Vha."

After a long moment to consider, Meng nodded. "Fine, I'll ask him. It would solve the medic problem for the team anyway. Our crew seems to be running short of them lately," he quipped as the lift doors opened outside the bridge. "Thank you for your help Ms. Darcy."

She trailed behind him, chewing on her lower lip as she considered her words. "I wonder.... I mean I hope this shows that we could be of use to you and this ship."

Meng stopped short and let out a slow breath before turning to face her once more. "I don't doubt your usefulness Ms. Darcy. Or that of your friends. And when the current crisis is ended and Captain Hunt has returned – I'm sure we'll have an answer for you all. We certainly won't leave Ne'Vha for good without addressing your request."

"Thank you," she said, trying not to appear dejected. "I... Thank you again Commander. If you let me know when Kay arrives, I'd be happy to make the introductions." Without waiting for a response, she turned to leave.

"Ms. Darcy," Meng called, bringing her up short. "You have no escort. Please join me on the bridge until we can find someone." He didn't wait for her to respond before sliding through the doors. All the chaos from before had been replaced by a deafening silence. There were only two other people on the bridge when he entered, both engineers trying to fill the shoes of the space dock crew. "Have a seat Ms. Darcy," he said as he moved toward the nearest station. "Bridge to Medical."

"Ward here," responded an unfamiliar voice. Like every other department, the rebellion and then extended shore leave had resulted in a few new trainees in the ward – although how much training they'd received with BOTH doctors absent was questionable.

"Is Doctor Azael there by chance?" Meng asked, crossing his fingers. He'd have to summon a runner to track the colony doctor down if not. After receiving an affirmative response, Meng relaxed. "Please ask him to come to the bridge along with his escort."

It didn't take long for the gray skinned doctor to enter, accompanied by a jovial nurse. The pair laughed as they entered but the escort grew silent as soon as she caught sight of Meng. "Commander," Doctor Azael said in greeting.

"Doctor, have you met Ms. Darcy's friend, Captain Kay...." Meng trailed off as he tried to recall the surname, only to realize Darcy had never offered it. He turned toward the scientist curiously. "Is it just Kay?"

Aryn Darcy shrugged, "as far as I know. She's only ever introduced herself as such."

"Fine," he said, turning back to Doctor Azael. "She's specifically requested you accompany the team on this mission. As they need a medic of some sort, I'm not opposed to this, but the choice is yours of course. You know the risks of the area."

"To answer your question, no I don't think I've met her personally. I know of her, of course," the doctor replied. "And I would be happy to join your team on this mission. The hospital can certainly spare me."

"Can you think why she might have asked for you in particular then?" Meng asked, narrowing his eyes.

Doctor Azael offered an unconvincing shrug in response. "If you'll excuse me, I should contact the surface to inform them of my extended absence. We will be leaving soon I imagine?" he asked, looking from Darcy to Meng and back again.

"Yes, Kay should be here in a few hours," Darcy offered, after Meng didn't respond. "Will you be in the Medical Ward?"

Doctor Azael nodded, "indeed. Please inform me when it is time to depart." Without another word from Meng, he offered his arm to his escort and left once more.

------

Meng stood poised outside the secondary docking port door as their new potential ally maneuvered into the space. Captain Kay's ship was smaller than he'd expect for a cargo hauler, but, as she closed in, he detected divots and clamps along the outside of her ship's port. He suspected she could attach additional modules depending on the run. With an appreciative nod, he turned his attention instead toward Aryn Darcy beside him. "What do you know of Xinji, Miss Darcy?"

"Pardon?" she said, surprised by the sudden question. The corridor had been unusually silent as they'd watched the approach of the Kay's ship. "Oh only as much as anyone does really. I've never even seen one."

"Never?" Meng asked in surprise. "Not even a picture?"

She shook her head, "no, as we said, they are extremely xenophobic. They want nothing to do with the surrounding sector and have taken great pains to isolate themselves." After a long pause, she spoke just above a whisper. "There is talk though – that the Quuvarii attempted to conquer their planet centuries ago – in much the same way they attacked Earth. Hardly surprising considering how close the system is to Nejuo. The Quuvarii suffered great losses so, of course, they don't include said failed attack in any of their school history lessons," she said with a grin.

"Then who's doing the talking?" Meng mused, not expecting a response.

Darcy started to reply but found his attention had returned to the approaching vessel. "Shouldn't your team be here by now?"

"They're ready," Meng said simply. By now Unity's docking port had sensed the approach of the ship and activated to guide them in, filling the corridor with a low buzz and a series of clicks.

"Then where..." she started to ask just as understanding washed over her. "You want to meet the Captain first." A long hiss let out as the seal between the ships was established and tested. Then the door slid open to reveal a tall, blonde woman flanked by two crew mates. "Kay!" Aryn hurried toward the captain, gripping her arm as she tugged her over toward Meng.

For her part, Captain Kay kept her eyes trained on the commander. Meng took a step forward and extended his hand. "Captain Kay, I presume. I'm Commander Meng Asada," he said as she shook his hand. "Thank you for coming so quickly."

"Always happy to help a friend. Or a friend of a friend, as the case may be," Kay said, finally taking her eyes off of him to glance around. "Aryn here has briefed me on the situation – a shuttle that possibly strayed into Xinji space?"

"Yes, that's what we suspect. Do you know the Xinji at all?" Meng asked.

"I know to avoid their system," she quipped, earning a slight scowl from Meng. Kay held up her hands and offered a sincere apology, "sorry – that came out wrong. I realize your crew is new to this area of space. I would have expected Azael to warn your team though... where is he?"

"Why Doctor Azael?" Meng asked, ignoring her question. "I mean, why'd you request him to come along for this?" Captain Kay only offered a shrug in response. "The team should be here shortly. It's a team of four – will that work for you?" he asked, glancing though the port window toward her small ship. "Captain Hunt and Doctor Ryan would make six when they're found."

"IF they're found," grunted one the crew men standing behind Kay. She whipped around toward him and he immediately shrank back, mumbling an apology.

"Prep the ship Garren! I'm sorry for my men," Kay said, still glaring at the offender's back as he skulked back into their ship. "We'll do everything we can to find your missing crew members Commander."

At that moment, Lieutenant O'Neill and his team approached. Ben paused for a moment to survey the assembled group, receiving a subtle nod from Meng, before falling in beside the Commander. Doctor Azael was jovial, as always, and greeted Kay as an old friend, though they'd never met. Representing engineering, Sub-Lieutenant Liam Hurley extended his hand toward the visiting captain before falling in on the other side of Meng. The final member of the team was a young, security trainee who looked both dazed and in awe of everything around her. She fumbled with her bag and offered her left hand to shake and then shrank back to try to hide her blush.

"Why doesn't your team stow their gear commander? And then we can go over the mission before departure?" Kay offered. Without orders, the other crewman jumped forward to help the Unity team with their stuff.

A few minutes later, they were gathered in the back hold of Kay's ship. Doctor Azael, Lieutenant O'Neill, Commander Asada and Captain Kay occupied the small table, while the rest of the team, Aryn Darcy and Kay's crew formed a ring around them. Unlike the large display on the bridge of Unity, Kay utilized a simple personal tablet to bring up the same map they'd seen before. "The area in red is Xinji space?" Meng clarified, mostly for O'Neill's sake.

"Yes," Doctor Azael confirmed. "Getting close enough to any of the three planets to even scan for your shuttle will be difficult."

"Difficult, but not impossible," Captain Kay said with a grin. "I can slip by those weapons platforms."

"I thought you avoided Xinji space," Meng said.

"As a rule, I do," Kay replied with a nod. "However, sometimes, if I cut the route a little too close one of those buggers will give chase. I've got a couple dozen decoy beacons that I can use to throw them off for a bit."

Doctor Azael looked dubious, "how long is a bit Captain?"

"Long enough to get past the border patrol and start a scan. Which is the real problem – our best chance it to know WHICH planet to scan on. I don't have nearly enough decoys to spend hours searching each one."

Meng rubbed his chin, "the only way to know which planet is if Captain Hunt and Freya managed to activate an emergency distress signal."

"And if they did so, they draw every weapons platform in range to their location," Doctor Azael said somberly. "If they went down on the central planet – there's not much reason to look," he said, earning a glare from Meng. "I'm sorry Commander but that's the only inhabited planet in the system. If they crashed or landed there, Xinji forces would have been on them within hours. And the Xinji don't take prisoners." Now everyone was looking at him curiously but he ignored their stares and pushed on. "Furthermore, the planet farthest from the star has an acidic atmosphere and very little solid surface. If the weapons didn't kill them, the planet would and there would be no recovering the shuttle."

"So you're saying the only planet worth searching is the one closest to the sun?" O'Neill asked, leaning in to get a closer look at the screen. "It's also considered inhospitable toward life..."

"Inhospitable perhaps. But not deadly," Azael said.

"So you start there, and hope for the best," Aryn Darcy chimed in, drawing Meng's attention for the first time since Captain Kay had stepped out of the airlock. As though sensing his impending question, she spoke quickly, "I didn't have an escort to leave..." The female security trainee let out a strangled laugh and attempted to hide it with a cough.

"Is it completely inconceivable to simply ask the Xinji if and where they crashed?" O'Neill asked.

"It's highly unlikely they'd respond to any sort of communication," Doctor Azael replied. "It's not in their nature to communicate with outsiders."

"Unlikely perhaps. But not impossible," Captain Kay said, pursing her lips. "Of course if we try the communication route and fail – we may not have the opportunity to get any closer when they chase us off. Even with the decoys." Meng stood and paced away from the group, all their eyes following him as he did. "They're your people Commander, what would you prefer we do?"

"It's your ship at risk Captain Kay," Meng countered. "Which do you think would be more successful? Diplomacy or espionage?"

Kay considered for a long moment, "espionage – by far. Doctor Azael is correct – they are unlikely to even respond, let alone be helpful. If we can sneak in, we've got a shot at least."

"Espionage it is," Meng said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Take good care of my people please Captain, I don't entrust them to you lightly. Ms. Darcy, we should let these people get underway."

End Chapter