Victoria's Challenge

  “We, when we are back on Carina.” Lucas opens his mouth. She covers it with her hand. “I’m not saying goodbye, Lucas. This isn’t goodbye. I know we’re going to be together, no matter what. The same way I knew my family was alive. I have no proof, just a belief. I need you to believe it too.”

  “Victoria, the chances….”

  “You’re the best fucking pilot in the Coalition. I need you to fly like it, Lucas. To not give up, no matter what. I need you to promise me that and mean it, because if you don’t, I will knock you out and do this my way. We are stronger together then we ever are apart. You know that!” Lucas looks into her eyes and sees the truth. She would have left her family on Earth for him. She needs to believe he will survive this.

  “I promise I will fly that Raptor until it’s got nothing left.” Knowing that’s the best he can do, he kisses her.

  “Victoria, I need to go prep the Raptor.” Lucas forces himself to slide his hands out from under her shirt.

  “I know.” She doesn’t move.

  “Victoria…”

  “Just give me a minute.” Closing her eyes, she takes a deep breath, pushing herself away from him she stands. “When you’re done prepping the Raptor, let me know, I’ll open the cargo bay.”

  Lucas rises from the pilot’s chair and looks into shuttered eyes. He understands what she’s doing. She has to shut him out to get through this.

  “I will love you for eternity, Victoria.”

  “I’ll hold you to that.” Rising up, she gives him one last kiss then takes his seat. “I need dad up here.”

  “What? Why?”

  “I need a second pair of eyes.” Nodding Lucas watches her disengage the autopilot.

  Entering the living quarters, three pairs of eyes turn to him. Each with differing emotions in them.

  “You’re going to want to strap in. I’m going to go prep the Raptor. Peter, Victoria would like you to sit in the co-pilots seat. She’s going to need help. Good luck.” Turning, he heads to the cargo bay.

  “Peter…” Cyndy whispers, concerned.

  “Brett, come sit with your mom. Can you handle the injections if she needs them?” Peter asks.

  “Yes sir.”

  “Cyndy.” Peter looks to his wife, not wanting to leave her but knowing the best way to protect her is to help Victoria.

  “I’ll be fine, go do what you do best.” Giving her a hard kiss, he smiles at his son.

  “Strap in, this is going to be one hell of a ride.”

  “Take the co-pilot’s seat, dad.” Sitting Peter turns to his daughter and finds he can’t read a single emotion on her face, the eyes that turn to his would put the most seasoned Special Forces member to shame. “There are some things you need to know. To your right, center column, second row from the bottom is a red blinking light. Do you see it?” Peter turns and looks.

  “Yes.”

  “When I tell you, flip the cover up and push it in. It will turn white.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s our locator beacon. It will identify us to our Fleet as friendly.”

  “Why hasn’t it been on?”

  “Because the Regulians will pick it up too. Next, front column, top row, left. Push it.”

  When he does, the dome in front of him changes, there’s a targeting grid, not unlike they’d used on Earth that showed where all the Regulian ships were.

  “That’s your targeting, next button over will activate your weapons systems. DON’T push it yet!” Peter’s finger stills. “The Regulians will pick it up. To your far right are your gauges for weapons. They are different then Earth’s. Those are lasers and those are what you'd consider rockets. Currently we are fully loaded, you will need to watch them as you fire.”

  “Will we be firing?”

  “Hopefully not.”

  “How did you learn all this?”

  “Uncle William taught me.”

  “Victoria, this is Hawk, I’m prepped.” Lucas’ voice comes over her headset.

  “Dad, put this on.” She hands him a headset as she looks at the clock.

  “Hawk, almost ready here.”

  “What do you mean almost?”

  “I have a few more systems to check and I will be opening cargo bay doors, three minutes.”

  “Damn it Victoria!”

  “If you leave the Raptor, it will be longer, three minutes Hawk or I don’t open them at all.”

  “Victoria, what are you doing?” Peter looks hard at his daughter.

  “Giving him the best chance I can to survive.” Emotionless eyes meet his.

  “Hawk I am prepping engines to jump to Warp 9.”

  “Victoria….”

  “Thirty seconds until doors open. Lucas…. Kick Regulian ass!”

  “Affirmative.”

  “Doors opening.” Peter watches her close her eyes as she pushes the button, a single tear falls.

  “Two minutes and you make your run Victoria,” Lucas orders.

  “Affirmative, clock running.” Peter watches as the clock on the dash winds down. When it hits thirty seconds Victoria pushes a button. “Mom, Brett, make sure your harnesses are tight. We’re going to be moving. Dad?”

  “Secured.” Looking out the dome, they see the Raptor fire. Victoria sends the Phoenix into maximum warp.

  “What do you see dad?”

  “What? Ships flying in extremely tight formation. Is that normal?”

  “No.” Suddenly she turns the Phoenix on its side, avoiding fire. “What’s that?! All systems record!” She orders and suddenly they pass through an energy pulse.

  “That ship, in front by itself, did you see it dad?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s different than all the others. It must be what’s creating the energy pulse that’s blocking our sensors.” In less than two minutes, the Phoenix is out of range of the Regulians.

  “Dad, push the red button, engage our locator.” Peter turns and does as his daughter orders.

  “Retribution―Phoenix. Retribution this is the Phoenix respond!” All she receives is static.

  “Retribution―Phoenix…..Retribution―Phoenix. Respond.” For nearly five minutes, there is no response.

  “Phoenix this is the Retribution, good to hear you.” Victoria recognizes Quinn’s voice.

  “Admiral, you need to launch all fighters! You have a Regulian Battle Fleet inbound! One Battle Star, twelve battle ships. They have some new technology that makes them invisible to all our scans.”

  “Excuse me!” Quinn exclaims.

  “Launch the fucking Blades, Admiral, Hawk is out there alone in the Raptor trying to slow them down, if he is unsuccessful they will be here in less than ten minutes!”

  “Set Alert Status One throughout the fleet! Launch all fighters!” They hear the Admiral order. “Phoenix you are to proceed out of the area!”

  “Negative Admiral! Everyone hold on!” Victoria pulls the Phoenix straight up onto its back and does a 180 heading back into the Relinquished Zone, the Phoenix shudders.

  “Victoria what the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Quinn demands.

  “Hawk’s out there alone, Admiral! I won’t leave him! I’ll turn my locator off when we are in visual range of the Regulians. That will tell you how far out they are. Tell Dodge to get his ass in gear! Phoenix out!”

  “Victoria what are you doing?” Her father’s voice is quiet.

  “I’m going back for my life mate.”

  “And Brett? Your mother?”

  “Derek Baxter.” Victoria fires at him as she pushes the Phoenix into the red.

  “What? Who?”

  “Derek Baxter, a member of your squad. Why did you go back for him?”

  “Victoria….”

  “You were injured going back for him. Your shoulder and leg. It’s why you were home during the attacks instead of half way around the world. Why did you go back for him?”

  “We don’t leave our people behind!”

  “And I won’
t leave Lucas behind! He more than people dad, he is family! Would you leave mom or Brett behind?” Hard deadly eyes met his. His daughter’s loyalty is a sight to behold.

  “What do you need me to do?” He realizes she’s had this planned all the time, it’s why she wouldn’t open the cargo bay doors any sooner.

  “Bring up the tracking system. I’m going to head for that strange ship. It’s got to be what’s blocking our sensors. Out there by itself.” She looks at her father.

  “It would make sense.” Peter nods.

  “Lock onto it, destroy it.”

  “What?”

  “Dad, you squeeze the trigger, I know you’re an expert shot. Two minutes, max. Arm the weapons. There she is, disengage the locator. Fire when ready.” Peter centers himself as the ship comes into his targeting range. His first shots are high.

  “Keep at it, dad.” Victoria’s fingers fly across her control panel activating her own weapons system. Scanning, she frantically looks for Hawk. There are hundreds of Strikers flying.

  “Fuck!” Suddenly there is an explosion to her right.

  “Got it!” Peter exclaims. Suddenly every sensor on the Phoenix lights up.

  “Nice job dad, now shoot everything you can. I’m going to target the battleships.” Firing her programmed sequences, she watches as she scores hits on five battle ships.

  “Fuck Lucas, where are you?” She whispers, suddenly she sees fire to her left. “There! Dad! Lucas is to our left engaging…. Shit I can’t count them all. Fire!” The Phoenix flies into the fray.

  Lucas is struggling to keep the Raptor in one piece, after only twenty minutes of combat he’s down to only ten percent on all banks, in a couple minutes, he’ll be defenseless. This isn’t how he’d planned on dying, but if it keeps Victoria and everyone else he loves alive, then it’s worth it. Firing, he takes out two more Strikers. Suddenly five more explode. Looking to his two o’clock, he sees the Phoenix and is suddenly terrified.

  “Fuck! Victoria what are you doing!” he demands.

  “Looks like I’m saving your ass!” Quickly she fires again.

  “You are supposed to warn the Fleet!”

  “Done, they are enroute.” Peter gets two more. “Watch your back!”

  “Victoria, run, I’m down to eight percent.”

  “Fuck that! Where the hell is Dodge?”

  “Right behind you, sweet cheeks!” Suddenly Blades fill the area. “Hawk, did I hear you right? Eight percent?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “Get out of here, Phoenix you follow, that’s a direct order from the Admiral.”

  “Understood. Bug out Hawk. Dad, on your three.”

  “Got him.” Turning Victoria watches the Raptor slow.

  “Hawk! What are you doing?!”

  “I’ve lost power.”

  “Dad, cover us while I get Lucas.” Opening cargo bay doors Victoria pulls up in front of the Raptor then hits the brakes. The sound of colliding metal is harsh on the ears.

  “Close the fucking doors!” Lucas orders.

  “Doors closing.”

  “Victoria….” Peter draws her attention.

  “What?” Looking through the dome, she sees the trail of incoming Regulian missiles. “Fuck! I can’t move until the doors close, it will rip us apart!” Looking away from the missiles, she watches her controls for confirmation that the doors are closed. Green! Sending the Phoenix straight to Warp nine there's nothing left for the missiles to hit.

  “Dad, reactivate the locator, we don’t want the Retribution to fire on us.”

  “No, we wouldn’t want that.” Peter looks at his daughter eyes full of respect.

  “Retribution―Phoenix. Retribution―Phoenix.”

  “This is the Retribution go ahead Phoenix.

  “Retribution we are inbound, need safe passage through the firing solution.”

  “Phoenix you are to proceed to Flight Deck A and land immediately, passage being transmitted.”

  “Retribution―I regret I cannot comply.”

  “God damn it Victoria, you will land that bird!” Quinn yells.

  “Admiral… I don’t know how. I’ve never landed the Phoenix on a moving ship.”

  “Where the fuck is Hawk?!”

  “Here Admiral.” Lucas storms the cockpit, angry eyes finding Victoria.

  “Then land that fucking bird, Major, and that’s an order!”

  “Understood Admiral. Peter I need your chair. You need to strap in with your family.”

  “Admiral, this is Chamberlain.” Victoria gives up the controls to Lucas. “I need medical to report to Deck A with three stretchers.”

  “Three…. You left with two….”

  “And are returning with five, I need Magnes…”

  “He’ll be there. Tar out.”

  “I am so pissed at you, Victoria.” Lucas says, his hands flying over the controls.

  “Later, right now, figure out how to land this ship, I’ve been pretty hard on her,” Victoria tells him.

  “Fuck, it’s like flying through mud.” Lucas struggles with the controls.

  “Yeah, I think we’re losing fluid in the cargo bay.” Lucas opens the mic to the living quarters.

  “Hold on, this is going to be a hard landing.”

  After several tense moments, the Phoenix finally comes to rest on flight Deck A. Victoria closes her eyes leaning back in her chair. They’d done it, they all made it. Letting her head fall back, a tear slips down her cheek.

  Lucas turns ready to rip into her, then he sees the tear.

  Look at her. He thinks, his heart stuttering. She risked everything for him, again. Had there ever been a man so loved or a woman so stubborn? Releasing his harness, he stands moving to gently undo hers.

  “Come on baby, we need to check your family.” Helping her rise, he feels her tremble as she dives into his arms. “I got you,” he whispers softly.

  “Oh God, Lucas, I’ve never been so scared in my life, not even when I was two.”

  “You do a hell of a job scared.” Tipping her face up, he gives her a passionate kiss, leaving them both breathless by the time he releases her. “Let’s get your family to medical.” Nodding, she steps away. In the living quarters, she finds her family has removed their harnesses.

  “Hey.” She smiles at them. “We made it. There’s going to be stretchers waiting for you, and we’ll get you to medical. Dr. Magnes will check you over then we’ll get you settled.” Lucas opens the hatch and noise fills the Phoenix. Stepping out, he turns and waits.

  “Come on, mom.” Victoria helps her mother stand. “Dad, you help Brett.” At the hatch, her mother pauses, her eyes flickering around the flight deck, trying to take it all in at once.

  “It’ll be okay, mom.” Victoria gives her arm a reassuring rub. “Just take your time.” Lucas holds a hand out to Cyndy, helping her down the steps.

  “Bring the stretcher over!” Lucas orders over his shoulder. “Cyndy, I’m going to lift you onto it okay?” At her nod, Lucas leans over and scoops her up into his arms then gently places her on the stretcher, turning, he sees Brett standing just as wide eyed in the hatch.

  “You’re next, Brett.” Repeating the procedure, Lucas turns to Peter, sharp eyes pin him Lucas just smiles.

  “I figure you can handle it yourself.”

  “I can.” Peter moves slowly, the battle having taken a lot more out of him then he’d realized.

  “Dad?” Concerned, Tori watches him.

  “I’m fine, just tired.” When Magnes moves towards Cyndy, Peter steps in front of him, his eyes hard.

  “Dad, this is Dr Magnes. He won’t hurt her. Trust me.” Magnes’ eyes widen at how Victoria refers to the thin man.

  “Sir, I’m just going to scan her.” After a moment, Peter nods and takes a small step back.

  “Dad, let’s get you on a stretcher and we’ll all go to medical.” A tech brings the last stretcher over, lowering it so Peter can sit then lay back.

  “Let’s go
!” Magnes orders his staff.

  “Victoria.” Lucas’ voice stops her from following her family, turning she looks at him.

  “You’re going back out.” He sees the quick flash of fear in her eyes before it’s gone.

  “It’s my job.” He caresses her cheek.

  “I know.” Her eyes are steady. “Find me in medical when you get back.” Rising up, she gives him a quick hard kiss then leaves him to his job.

  Lucas watches as she hustles after her family. Turning, he gets his first good look at the exterior of the Phoenix. What, just over a week ago had been a streamlined sparkling ship is now a battered and dented with blackened spots from close fire. Walking around the back, he sees where fluid is leaking out the back.

  “I don’t know how you landed that thing.” Lorre walks over to him, inspecting the damage.

  “It flew like it was stuck in mud.”

  “I’ll bet.” Lorre looks him in the eye. “You want to get in the fight?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I got one bird left…. Yours. She’s prepped and ready.”

  “Thanks Lorre.” Turning he hustles to his Blade.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “I want them on the beds over there!” Magnes orders as they enter Medical. “Gabor, I want full body scans all systems!”

  “Mom!” Brett’s scared voice breaks through as the large woman approaches him.

  “Hey Brett.” Victoria steps in front of Gabor, her voice soothing. “This is Gabor. She’s a friend of mine. She’s going to run some scans on you, like I did on the Phoenix. It won’t hurt okay?” Once he slowly nods, she turns to Gabor.

  “He’s malnourished and has radiation sickness. I’ve been treating him of the last…” Victoria rubs between her eyes. “Shit how long have we been gone?”

  “A week.” Gabor looks at her concerned, Tori doesn’t forget things.

  “Okay, so for four days, he’s only vomited once after eating solids. Since then, he’s been on fortified soup. His name is Brett.”

  “Understood.” Gabor walks around Tori.

  “Hi Brett, I’m Gabor, let’s get this started.” Knowing he’s in good hands, Victoria turns to find Magnes scanning her mother and her father trying to get off his bed.