Waverly knew something was very wrong. Unfastening her harness, she moved towards the rear of the craft. Nicole was on the floor, a carpet of red spreading out from her limp body. The pounding in Waverly's chest began to hurt. She knelt, feeling for a pulse. There. Got it. She was alive. Nicole stirred, the lifting of her hand causing her to regain consciousness momentarily.
Waverly had to act fast. She grabbed the medical bag, frantically searching for the pain relief patches. She needed to open Nicole's combat jacket to apply them. Tentatively, she began to release the fastening. Nicole groaned at the movement. Waverly kept going. Better to apply the drugs quickly than have Nicole remain in agony. She waited for them to take effect.
Nicole half-opened her eyes. The drugs were beginning to work. From the expression on Nicole's face, Waverly could see she was in agony. She attempted to sit, unable, she slumped back on the floor. Waverly placed her hand on Nicole's shoulder. To reassure her. To tell her not to move. She continued to open Nicole's jacket. Much of her vest was now a deep crimson. Waverly ripped it to get to the wound. It was deep. Vital organs had been missed, thankfully. Loss of blood significant. Too much. She was losing too much. She would cover the wound as best she could. Remember your training, she muttered, knowing this was more serious than she had ever had to deal with previously. Applying the largest dressings she could find, she pressed them to activate. Nicole didn't flinch. A sign the drugs were working.
Failing to find anything to rest Nicole's head on, she unfastened her own jacket, placing it under her. She returned to the cockpit, anxiously waiting for a signal from the ship with their location. It felt like an eternity. They could only stay masked for so long. Scout crafts were not fitted with the same cloaking device as larger ships. They could hide, temporarily, so long as they remained silent. Any communication would turn them into a neon sign, yelling 'come and get me.' She couldn't wait any longer.
She had to risk it. "We need help. Commander Haught is wounded."
Doc responded. "Earp. Sending co-ordinates. Be ready."
Waverly keyed them in, setting the thrusters at full power. She had to be quick. Doc watched as the craft moved at speed towards the ship. It would be a close call. The rebels had picked up Waverly's distress signal and Doc's response. Two large ships heading towards them. Fully armed. Rosita was in the pilot seat waiting on Doc's command to get them away from the planet.
Doc stood behind her, monitoring Waverly's approach. "When they dock, we're out of here."
Bustillos nodded, she was ready to jump as soon as Doc gave the word. Waverly would have only one chance at the entrance of the docking bay. At the speed she was travelling it would be extremely dangerous. A fraction off and the craft would tear through the ship. Her mind went silent, focusing on the task before her. No margin for error. She had to get this right, or they would all be killed. She powered down the thrusters just before entering, praying she had enough room to stop once on board. The craft careered along the floor, a fountain of sparks cascading out from underneath as metal grated against metal, coming to a halt just short of the far wall. Doc gave the command to make the jump as Svane's ships came within firing range.
Nicole was brought to the medical bay. Laying her on an observation table, Doc called up the holistic program. He gave the command for treatment to commence. She was lucky this time.
Doc stood beside Waverly, watching as the program began its work. "You did well. That was some flying. What happened?"
"Sand in the thrusters. We had to dig them out. Only just made it. She was outside when... "
Waverly trailed off, the memory of seeing Nicole lying near the door, the agony on her face, the wound. Waverly didn't want to think about it. So many what ifs. Nicole was alive, that was all that mattered. She had done her job. She got them back to the ship. Nicole would be OK.
Doc was quiet, deep in thought. He needed to inform Legion what they had seen. What he believed was happening. Waverly waited until he had left the room. She touched the back of Nicole's hand. It twitched, ever so slightly, as if to acknowledge her presence.
"We made it. Not bad for a pair of misfits."
Nicole's eyes moved under closed eyelids. She wondered whether Nicole could hear her.
"Hey, if you ever want someone to go exploring with you."
She broke off. A fanciful idea. Nicole had said she wasn't looking for love. She probably wasn't looking for a farmer either. She felt tears coming. Keep it together Earp, she instructed herself. She knew Nicole would be out for hours. One last gaze at the sleeping beauty. She went to her quarters, removing the rest of her stained combat suit, placing her sword back in the locker. She showered, her eyes following red rivers running down her body. She opened the chill cabinet, grabbing a water. She stood for a moment looking at the chemical sachets. Just this time, she thought, as she extracted one for sleep. She no longer wanted to think. No longer wanted to relive the moment of seeing Nicole on the floor.
Lying in her sleep pod, she let the chemicals take over.
...---... ...---... ...---...
Svane was furious. "You let them get away."
"We picked up a communication. One of them is wounded. A Commander Haught. There's another in the craft. Earp."
Willa heard the name. Its utterance sent a jolt through her body. She turned away from Svane so as not to reveal she knew it, or knew to whom it belonged. Not Wynonna. It could be Waverly? If it was her. How she longed to see her sister again. To see her grown into a woman. She would be about twenty one, she calculated. She knew better than to say anything to Svane. Her Bobo. He was unaware she was an Earp. She had dropped the name as soon as she left Keplar. Wanting to make a new start.
The years had passed. She met Svane at one of the remote trading planets. He was taken by her the first moment he laid eyes on the beautiful creature serving him. Pursuing her for months. She knew what he was. She knew he had evil on his mind. He could be cruel. She had seen his handy work on those who went against him. He could be kind. To her.
His empire grew and so did his arrogance. He needed to prove to the Union he was right. His way, or no way. No compromise. No agreement. No handshake. The time for that had long passed. Willa watched as his mood grew darker. The Bobo she once knew disappearing within his own madness. He was still kind to her, on rare occasions. Indifferent to her presence all the other times. It left her lonely. Trapped on a planet, far beyond the reach of anyone who truly cared for her. She wondered what Waverly would say if they ever came face to face. How she longed to see Waverly's face one more time. She left the room. The emptiness of her chosen life coming home to her.
...---... ...---... ...---...
Doc sat in the Coms room, relaying his observations to Legion.
"There's way too much activity on that planet. Someone is planning something big. My guess is they want a fight."
"The weapons you saw?"
"From Union ships. And pulsar canons. They mean business."
"We believe it's Svane. Political prisoner. Escaped on route to a secure facility on Luyten."
Doc knew that name. If it was Svane, Gideon needed to be ready to defend itself. If Svane brought the fight to them it would devastate the planet. Unless, Doc wondered, did Svane intend to fight closer to home? That would make sense. Bring the fight to him, not the other way. He would have the advantage. A master player in a planetary game of chess. Draw your opponent out. Weaken them. Doc realised that was why he was signalling his location. He wanted Legion to know he was there. He wanted a fight. But, on his own terms. On his own turf.
Doc summoned the crew to the communal area. They were anxious to know about Haught and the mission. Doc brought them up to speed. They would return to Gideon, wait for instructions. He left them deep in discussion, returning to his quarters to write up his report. This was going to be a long night.
"Commander Haught is awake."
Doc had fallen asleep at his workstation. The sound in his ear startled him. He stretched, acknowledging the message. He headed to the medical bay. Nicole was sitting up, the effects of the drugs still coursing through her veins. Nausea, her head pounding, usual after undergoing repair work. She focused her eyes on Doc as he entered.
"Welcome back. You owe Earp your life."
"Is she OK?"
"She's resting. That was some hit you took."
"Where are we?"
"One jump out from the planet. We'll make another jump in a few hours. Heading for Gideon."
Nicole nodded. The prospect of returning home more appealing than entering into any more fights. Doc helped her to her quarters. Lying in her sleep pod, she closed her eyes once more.
The conversation with Waverly flashed in her mind. The farm. She wondered what it was like. She imagined sunlight flickering through leaves, their shadows dancing across the ground. A warm wind brushing against her face. The smell of ripe fruit hanging in the air. The ocean. Cool, salty water caressing her body. Did Waverly know how lucky she was?
She winced at the memory of telling her she was not looking for love. She had lied. She was. She simply was too afraid of being trapped. Suffocated. Without space to breathe. Shae had become demanding. The closer she got, the more she pushed, the more Nicole pulled away. Emotionally distancing herself from their relationship. It was selfish of her. She recognised that now. Unfair to Shae.
Waverly. Why was she even thinking about her in this way? Desire. Pure and simple. The mystery, the fascination of another to be explored. Curiosity. Unable to be coaxed back into its cage. Her body screaming life was short. Her heart whispering she needed to make a move.