"I assure you that the fact that the Bacchus is familiar territory for you is just a coincidence. Make no mistake this will not be a pleasure trip." Sewell-Z said with a laugh, "So buckle in kiddies, and thank you for flying Sewell airlines."

After their captor disappeared back into the cockpit the Wildcards looked at each other. Shane tried to keep the morale up, "Look at it this way, at least on the Bacchus one of us has a better chance at reaching a radio. A better chance to call for help."

"If there's anybody out there to listen." Vanessa replied softly.

"There will be." Paul assured her wishing he was as confident as he sounded.

USS Franklin Roosevelt
Chig Territory
June, 2065
Commodore Glen Ross followed the young Ensign to Grey's office. As the young black haired woman turned and saluted him before walking back down the corridor Glenn shook his head in amazement. Had he ever been that young?

A strong hand clamped down on his left shoulder snapping Ross back to the present.

"Glen, good to see you, just wish it was under better circumstances." Lucas Grey said as he ushered Ross into his office.

A grim smile crossed Ross's face, "Agreed."

"So what are we up against?" Grey asked as he stood behind his desk.

Glen Ross sighed, "I wish to hell I knew, Lucas. I can tell you one thing, whatever destroyed the Valley Forge is bigger than anything we've encountered before."

Cooper Hawkes was just climbing out of his hammerhead when he saw Kylen Calenia enter the docking bay. Her blue eyes spotted him before he could call out a greeting.

"Cooper, have you seen Nathan?"

Hawkes shook his head, as he shifted his helmet to his right arm, "No, not since we got on board. But its been crazy around here I probably would've missed him if he had walked right by me." He paused seeing the concerned look flash across her face, "Why, what's wrong?"

She grabbed his arm, "I just need to talk to him about why he sent us here. Come on, I checked the flight schedule I know the 44th just came back from a survey mission so if he's not here he's in his quarters."

Operation: Homeward Bound
August, 2064
"Good morning, Captain." A gravely voice began breaking into the only peace Shane Vansen was able to get in the last three months, "Care for a game of pool? I'll even let you break."

Shane knew she had seen footlockers bigger than the cold, dark gray metaled walled room the AI's had thrown her into when they had first arrived on the Bacchus. If she wanted to stand she had to hunch over so she wouldn't wack her head on the ceiling. She couldn't stretch out comfortably to sleep either. Which meant she had fallen asleep most nights in a sitting position with her knees pulled up to her chest.

Vansen glared at the pool shark she had played a game with on that R&R so long ago.

"Not right now, Alvin. I've got a headache." Shane replied as she glared at the AI. In the three months they had been held on the Bacchus, Shane had seen little of her friends. Actually she could count the times she had seen them on one hand. She was particularly worried about Paul. Each time she had seen him, he had looked worse. She could only pray that his injuries were healing properly, Shane doubted greatly that their captors had given him medical attention.

"Now, is that anyway to talk to your host?" Alvin asked with a wide smile as he leaned against the door frame, arms folded across his chest.

The uncertainty of their situation the last several months and being just plain frustrated Shane Vansen stood up to confront her captor. Instantly her head connected with the low ceiling causing her to wince.

"Host?" Shane repeated taking a step toward the AI, "We've been held here three months and I still don't know why!"

Shane turned and began to pace the small area as best she could, "I didn't trust you on that R&R and I don't trust you now. It made no sense to me that the AI's would make a model just to play games. Especially when the Bacchus could be of strategic importance as far as a black market is concerned."

Handsome Alvin's smile grew if that was possible, "I see you've had too much time on your hands to be able to think up these outlandish scenarios. All I asked you was if you wanted to play a little game, allow you to get out of this cramped environment. But I can clearly see you're not interested." The AI opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, "Have a nice day, Captain."

Shane winced as the heavy door slammed shut, once again plunging the small room into darkness.

Tired of rambling around the ship, McQueen headed for Grey's office. He had overheard in the cafeteria that Ross was on board. Ten minutes later the InVitro knocked lightly on the open door of the Commodore's office. "Sorry to interrupt, but I thought I could be of some assistance."

Glenn Ross smiled as he raised his left hand toward McQueen, "Lucas, meet Lieutenant Colonel Tyrus McQueen."

Grey walked around the desk and shook McQueen's outstretched hand, "Its good to finally meet you, Colonel. I've heard a lot about you."

McQueen smiled, "I hope you didn't believe everything you heard."

"Never do. "Grey replied his voice turning serious as he focused the three men's attention back to the matter at hand, "So Glen, what exactly do we know about this new Chig weapon?"

Operation: Homeward Bound
Late August, 2064
Lieutenant Paul Wang was beginning to understand Shane Vansen's hatred of AI's and that frightened him. Even after all he had seen and experienced in this War, he had always believed he could never hate anything, even the Chigs. Now he wasn't so sure.

Paul tried to uncurl his right leg which was trapped underneath him as he sat in the small room. As he tried to get in a more comfortable position Paul banged his injured left shoulder on the wall, causing a new wave of pain to course through his body. In frustration Paul kicked the far wall with his free foot, that certainly didn't help matters.

After the pain in his foot and shoulder subsided to a dull throb, Paul's thought's drifted to Vanessa. Why of all places in the known galaxy did the AI's have to hold them here?

That R&R on the Bacchus still held special memories for Paul and he was sure Vanessa felt the same. He refused to allow their captors to tarnish those memories.

USS Roosevelt
Chig territory
June, 2065
Kylen, Cooper and Nathan slipped unnoticed into the Medical bay as a new arrival of wounded came in. In the chaos Kylen found Lieutenant Peter Johnson in a somewhat secluded corner toward the rear of the room. Green eyes looked groggily at the group before focusing on Kylen's smiling face as she sat down next to him.

"Hi Peter, it's good to see you awake. Do you know where you are?"

The young pilot nodded, "Saratoga." He replied in a hoarse voice.

Kylen poured a small glass of water and handed it to Johnson as he struggled into a sitting position. She motioned Nathan to stand next to her.

"Peter, this is Captain Nathan West, he's the friend I told you about."

A shadow of pain flashed across Johnson's green eyes as he looked at Nathan, "So you want to know what happened to my squadron."

Nathan nodded, "Yes."

Johnson took a swallow from the glass before saying, "I should have known something was wrong. It had been our first routine patrol in months. Hadn't seen a Chig for hours."

Kylen placed a gentle hand on the young pilot's shoulder after his voice faltered, "Its okay Peter, take as long as you need."

Peter smiled briefly at Kylen before continuing with his story.

"To use an old adage, we never saw what hit us. It was like space itself had suddenly turned on us. Enemy fire was coming from everywhere but we couldn't see any ships."

"What about LDAR?" Cooper asked.

Johnson shook his head, "Nothing. Unlike our pal Chiggy Von Richtovan there wasn't even a wrinkle on LDAR to tell us where they were. It was almost like we were fighting ghost ships, except for that sound."

Nathan blinked, "What sound?"

Peter winced at the memory, "I don't know how to describe it, West. It wasn't like anything I'd ever heard before. Next thing I knew Jacobs hammer had collided with Caton's taking them both out. Then Bonavia started to go crazy. I tried to talk him through it, but it was like he couldn't hear me. He kept mumbling something about angels. Then he sent his hammerhead into a spin, almost taking me with him. He did take out my left wing and engine, leaving me a sitting duck. When the enemy fire was through crippling my ship I still had no idea where they were. Then just when I thought I was dead, it just stopped."

"Was Bonavia very religious?" Kylen asked.

Johnson shook his head, "No, not that I knew of. I mean he wore a small cross around his neck, but a lot of guys do that."

"Would you be willing to tell your story to Grey and Ross?" Nathan asked.

Peter nodded ,"I'll do anything I can to make those Chig bastards pay for killing the 33rd. I don't know how much help I can be. I didn't see what the ships looked like."

"Don't worry about that," Nathan assured him, "Just tell your story. I think between that and the data the Saratoga gathered we might finally have a lead on what brought down the Valley Forge."

Operation: Homeward Bound
Late August, 2064
On one of the lower levels of the Aerotech pleasure ship Bacchus an AI called Handsome Alvin entered a tiny office.

"Where the hell have you been?" Leia demanded as she sat down behind the small black desk.

Alvin smiled at the blonde AI as he leaned back against the wall.

"I was visiting an old friend."

Leia bristled, "We aren't paying you to flirt with the prisoners."

Alvin grinned, "Why, are you a wee bit jealous?"

Leia laughed, "Don't flatter yourself, pool boy."

Alvin raised an eyebrow, "Pool boy?"

"Enough you two." Howard Sewell-Z ordered as he entered the room, "I swear you two are worse than children."

"Sorry Howie." Leia quickly apologized.

"Sorry Howie. Alvin mimicked in a high pitched voice.

Sewell glared at him, "Am I going to have to separate you two? This mission is far too important for me to spend my time baby sitting. I would thin....."

Sewell-Z glanced down at a small flip top computer as a loud beep interrupted his train of thought.

"Is it done yet?" A deep baritone male voice demanded from the small screen. Alvin watched with interest as Sewell practically cowered. "Not yet, Sir."

The voice raised an octave or two in volume as fury nearly radiated from the small screen, "Not yet?! what the hell have you been doing with them for the last three months?! Playing Tiddly Winks?!"

Sewell tried not to wince, "No, Sir. Its just....."

"Just nothing. I know your programming is made to follow orders because I designed it! So try to follow this simple one. Get the information then kill them Is that understood?"

Sewell straightened, "Yes, Sir."

The computer screen instantly retracted as the transmission was terminated.

USS Roosevelt
Chig Territory
June, 2065
Tyrus Cassius McQueen glanced up from a series of schematics spread across Grey's desk as a familiar duo entered the room.

"West, Hawkes." McQueen acknowledged.

"Colonel," Nathan replied, "We were told Commander Ross was in here."

McQueen blinked, "He and Grey just stepped out for a moment. Seems some new information was being downloaded from the Saratoga."

Nathan stepped toward the center of the room, "Colonel, can you get them back here? We may have found what destroyed the Valley Forge."

McQueen walked around to the front of the desk, "They'll be back any minute. What did you find out?"

Hawkes almost smiled, "It wasn't a what, Colonel. Its a who."

Nathan nodded, "Kylen found a surviving member of the 33rd."

McQueen blinked, "Where?"

"Here." Nathan replied, "He's right here in the Roosevelt's Medical bay."

Operation: Homeward Bound
Aerotech pleasure ship, The Bacchus
Christmas, 2064
With her left arm in a makeshift sling Shane glanced at her two cell mates.

"Merry Christmas." Vanessa said with a forced smile.

Paul winced as he shifted position in the small space, "I don't see what's so merry about it."

"I don't know what's worse, last Christmas or this Christmas." Shane agreed.

She didn't know why but the AI's had finally put the three Wildcards in the same cell. Maybe they were feeling some of the Christmas spirit or perhaps they were just getting frustrated. They weren't succeeding in getting the information they wanted from the Wildcards. Shane still didn't know what they wanted from them, even after all those months of torture. None of the questions had made any sense.

"At least we're alive." Vanessa pointed out as she stared at a space of wall about Paul's head.

Paul grimaced, "We're alive, but obviously no one else thinks we are."

Shane glared at him, "Just because we haven't been rescued doesn't mean they aren't still looking for us. We didn't exactly leave a forwarding address."

"Besides," Vanessa added, "Who would ever think to look for us on the Bacchus of all places."

"So what's our plan?" Paul asked, "I'm tired of just sitting here letting them have the advantage."

"Agreed," Shane replied as she adjusted her sling, "We just have to wait and atch for an opportunity. Every group has a weakness. We just have to find t."

Paul nodded, "Well since we have some form of a plan now." He said as he smiled at his friends, "Merry Christmas."

Shane returned his smile, "Merry Christmas."

Vanessa leaned forward sticking her hand forward, palm down. Paul placed his on top of hers and Shane placed hers on top of his.

"And God bless us every one." Vanessa said softly.

USS Franklin Roosevelt
Chig Territory
June, 2065
Silence hung in the air after Lieutenant Peter Johnson finished telling his story for the second time that day. Clearing his throat Glen Ross walked over to the pilot and placed a supportive hand on his left shoulder.

"Thank you son, for telling us." Ross began exchanging a glance with Grey, "You just concentrate on getting better, leave the rest to us."

Ross turned and started to walk away but Johnson's soft voice halted him at the foot of the bed.

"Commodore, when you make up the strike team I'd like to be part of it."

Ross turned slowly to face the young pilot. He choose his words carefully, "Get some rest, Lieutenant. I'll talk to your doctors and we'll see what we can do."

"Thank you, Commodore." Peter replied before finally allowing his eyes to close, sleep came quickly.

Operation: Homeward Bound
Aerotech pleasure ship, Bacchus
First week of March, 2065
Lieutenant Paul Wang found himself drifting in and out of conscious. He was once again in the small cell. He hadn't seen or heard anything about Shane since she had tried to escape and reach a radio in the upper decks nearly a month and a half ago. All he knew was the torture sessions on Vanessa and himself had increased with a vengeance.

Shane must be dead. Paul thought bleakly as he stared into the darkness, Otherwise she would have contacted us somehow or we'd be out of this hell hole.

He was nearly blinded by the harsh florescent light as the heavy metal door swung open and a human weight was tossed inside. The body fell with a sickening thud at his feet.

With an effort Paul urged his wounded limbs to move as he crawled over to see who the limp form was. Turning the body onto its back Paul saw it was Vanessa. With frantic fingers Paul searched for a pulse. a sigh of relief escaped him as he found a faint, but strong one. In the limited light he tried to decipher the new injuries from the old ones.

"Vanessa, its Paul. Can you hear me?"

When only silence answered him Paul maneuvered as best he could in the small space until he was positioned near her shoulders. Paul hadn't found any broken bones, but her still being unconscious worried him. He decided to keep talking to her, if nothing else it would make him feel less helpless.

"Vanessa, did I ever tell you about the kitten one of my sisters brought home?" Shifting from kneeling to a sitting position Paul gently took her hand in his as he continued his story.

"I think I was ten, Sarah was seven at the time. There was barely enough food to feed the six of us that winter and she walks in holding this shivering mound of black fur. You would have instantly fallen in love with it, but my father." Paul shook his head at the memory, "He took one look at it and ordered Sarah to put it outside. I have to give her credit though she stood her ground. I think it was more the fact that it was sixty below zero with the wind chill and a week before Christmas that my father had a change of heart and allowed her to keep it."

He hadn't noticed that Vanessa had regained conscious until her soft voice asked, "Paul, what did she name it?"

Paul smiled as he helped her into a sitting position, "Shadow because the cat never left her side."

USS Franklin Roosevelt
Chig Territory
June, 2065
It was a small group that gathered in one of the Roosevelt's conference rooms half an hour later. Ross and Grey had decided to keep the news of a new Chig weapon on a need to know basis. Seated around the table were McQueen, West, Hawkes and Kylen. Nathan had thought her knowledge of the Chigs from her months of captivity might be useful.

Ross and Grey stood at the front of the table, a map of the sector of space in question projected on a screen behind them. Ross glanced at Lucas Grey who nodded, indicating that the Saratoga commodore should begin.

"I really hate to be the one to say this, but in this War we may have underestimated the Chigs." Ross saw McQueen open his mouth to protest and held up his hand, "Let me finish."

McQueen's mouth instantly snapped shut and he leaned back in his chair, waiting for the Commodore to continue.

"As I was saying I think we may have underestimated the Chigs by not thinking they were working on any other weapons since we destroyed Chiggy Von Richtovan a year ago. Lieutenant Johnson's story confirms a rumor that's been circulating Intelligence scuttlebutt recently."

Grey stepped toward the center of the room, "And what is more deadly about this weapon is that we have, at the moment, no way to detect its presence. At least with our friend Chiggy Von Richtovan there was a wave on LDAR to announce that it was there." Grey's Irish burr paused as he looked at the group gathered. He was telling them nothing they didn't already know.

Ross picked up the story, "The computer data that was brought back to the Saratoga by the survey missions does not look promising. All we know at this point is that whatever it was it left a huge energy residue. Bigger than anything we've ever come across."

Nathan felt Kylen stiffen and turned to look at her, concern instantly crossed his face as he saw her frightened expression.

"Kylen, what is it?" Kylen wasn't quite sure what was happening to her. She had, had several panic attacks during the six months after she returned to Earth. This was similar, but yet ten times more intense than anything she'd experienced before.

Nathan's fear escalated when she didn't respond. He knew bringing her into this meeting was too soon. But he thought that helping them figure out what this new weapon was might also help her face her memories. Help her deal with what had happened last year. Now as he saw the almost panic stricken expression on her face Nathan knew how wrong he had been.

Gently he took her hand in his, "Kylen, I'm sorry. If this is too much for you, we can leave."

Finally getting her breathing and rapid pulse under control enough so she could talk Kylen squeezed Nathan's hand smiling at him briefly, "I'm alright, Nathan. Sorry for the interruption, Commodore."

Ross smiled, "No apologies necessary, Kylen. You heard Lieutenant Johnson's story. When you were held by the Chigs does this sound like anything you saw?"

Kylen winced slightly as her mind went to unwanted memories. Memories she had long since buried and shoved in the deepest, darkest corner of her subconscious.

Swallowing hard she looked Ross in the eye, "Even with all the therapy I've had over the past year, Commodore most of the time since the Tellis colony was attacked until I saw Nathan on the rescue ship is all a dark blur."

Ross leaned on the table, "Anything you can tell us, no matter how small it seems to you could help us unlock the mystery of this thing."