The Voyage Home

by Psyche_B

he adventures of the Star Traveler Andromeda that started in Among the Stars, Beyond the Farthest Planet, and So Far From Home, continues in the final chapter The Voyage Home.

Go To Part 1

"Captain, what did that rescue show you?"

"Two things or rather three things. The first was that Colonel O'Malley was and is an extremely competent leader. Strong but flexible enough to take suggestions from those under her and run with them. I would willingly follow her any time. The second is that Captains spend way too much time behind a desk. She ran rings around me and was not even winded."

"And the third?"

"The third is that no matter how angry we are with each other, one thing will never change and that is that we are sisters. When I saw her go down the first time she went through the field all I could think about was getting to her side. It did not matter that I could have had the same reaction. She was down and getting to her was what was important."

"Why did she get so angry when she learned about the video lock."

"For those first few missions, that was a bone of contention between us."

"Did she not know the regulations concerning video locks?"

"She was not aware of the regulation at the time but did after that. The problem is that the regulation states that who the lock is placed on is the Captain's discretion. Her biggest problem with the locks is that she did not want to fail in front of her troops, or me or as she put it everyone and their pets to see. After I explained that my orders came from a higher source than the regulations or the Joint Chiefs, she relented."

"Who or what is this mythical higher source."

"Not mythical at all Admiral. The higher power is the one that can scare Rear Admirals and four star Generals spit less."

"Your mother?"

"Yes and she still has a vendetta."

"Is that a threat Captain?"

"Not at all, Admiral. Just a reminder that she has a long memory."

"We have moved off our course and need to get back on track." Admiral Tacher stated.

"In your first confrontation with the Megarans why did they demand you turn over Colonel O'Malley?"

"They believed that she was their Chosen One. The leader they believed they needed to show them the way to survive." We asked for proof and they replayed the scenes of Kacey going through the fields. They said the test was set up to affect only their Chosen One. We were able to get away from their roadblock without having to resort to a space battle."

"You ran away?" Admiral Wilson accused.

"We escaped. Our mission was not to engage in warfare if we could avoid it."

"Correct me if I am wrong, but according to your logs and reports they fired the first shot. You were within your rights to fight back and protect yourself. But you chose to run away."

"That shot did no damage to Andromeda. Their guns, shields and speed were no match for Andromeda's. We escaped to fight another day when we were left with no other choice. That is what happened during our second confrontation with the Megarans."

"Explain what went on during that second meeting."

Kate took a deep breath and launched into the explanation.

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"Natalia we want to assure you that the committee approves your return to the throne." It is your birthright and your daughter's. Will you deny her that birthright?" Minister Carmelo asked.

"These islands that you settled on, are they under the same laws that govern the states?"

"The islands are considered a territory. We are bound by the same laws that govern the rest of the world. As a territory we are still allowed to have separate governments. The World President is still the leader. We have representatives on the world council. Many nations still have their royalty."

"They are all figure heads?" Natalia asked.

"Yes. Representatives from every country that is still viable meet with the President weekly to discuss how to make life better for every person. You would not be required to attend those meetings as representatives have already been chosen."

"Natalia the people would like to see you back on the throne. All their lives your family has looked after their well being. They became more vocal after they watched the memorial. Obviously you still care for your people. As does Colonel O'Malley. To organize such a touching memorial show how deeply she cares."

"I need to discuss this with Kacey, which probably will not happen until the debriefings are over. That will take at least two weeks. What I need to take into consideration is, if while not all, but a vast majority of the people want to return to a Monarchy. Including every member of the committee. I will not ask for a show of hands now. Take the time to think if that is what you really want. Take the time to make a rational decision."

"We are all in agreement right now Natalia, but as you suggested, we will take the time and decide officially."

"Is there any chance of meeting your children before we leave?"

"Sure. Let me check with Patricia to make sure they are up from their naps." She went to the computer and contacted Patricia.

"Natalia is everything all right?"

"It is. Are the children awake? I would like to bring Minister Carmelo and the committee over to meet them."

"They woke up about twenty minutes ago and are having a snack right now. Come over."

"They are awake. You can leave everything here as it is just next door." Natalia led the way to Liam and Patricia's home. She introduced the committee members." Minister Carmelo, you already know."

"Yes I do. It is a pleasure to see you again Minister."

"Thank you Mrs. O'Malley."

"Please call me Patricia." She said, as she went with Natalia to get the children.

"This little guy is Patrick Liam and our daughter is Caitlyn Aine O'Malley."

"Natalia they are beautiful. Caitlyn favors you while Patrick looks like Kacey."

"We were very lucky. With the difference in our coloring we could have had any mixture. Can you both say hello to mama's friends?"

"Hi." Caitlyn stated.

"Want Poppy." Patrick said.

"Where is Liam?"

"He and the girls are out checking the pool fence so that these two cannot get into any trouble out there. He will be in shortly."

Caitlyn pulled on Patricia's hand. "Gamma cookie."

"She sounds like a person who knows exactly what she wants." Minister Carmelo said.

"And who to ask." Natalia replied.

Patricia looked at Caitlyn. "Not until you finished your banana young lady. Finish you banana then you can have a cookie." Caitlyn picked up the banana she was eating and finished it.

"They are very well behaved for their age."

"Right now they are." Natalia stated. "They can get into things they should not if we are not watching them constantly."

"When they behave they definitely take after Natalia, but Kacey's influence shows in them regularly. At that age Kacey was a bundle of perpetual motion. From the minute she woke up she would be on the go until her energy wound down. We would find her asleep in the strangest places. Then she would wake up and be off again."

"Their movements were restricted because we were on Andromeda. I hope that now we are on Earth they will remain that way." Natalia admitted.

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"Colonel O'Malley perhaps you can explain how you came up with the plan to defeat the Megarans."

"You have my reports in front of you why do you need me to explain anything?"

"Humor us Colonel. There is quite a bit of difference in the reports from Captain Jensen, Commander O'Malley and Lieutenant Commander Torino. Theirs all say basically the same, while your report is more detail oriented. We want to hear how you came up with the plan."

"Once we were trapped inside the larger more powerful E.M field, and with the help of Captain Jensen, the Bridge crews, we or rather I was able to locate weak areas in the field. When we had found enough of them I call in Lieutenant Colonel Anderson, and Majors Williams and Taggart. Together we were able to decide which areas to target to collapse the field."

"How did you know this plan would succeed?"

"We were not one hundred percent certain, but it was like a precision drop on a building. Target the right areas and the whole thing would come down."

"I presume you have experience with what you called a precision drop?"

"Yes Admiral I did." Kacey stated. "When the Space Agency wanted to expand, the old Federal Building was in the way of that expansion. A team of Marines were brought in to bring down the building. The four Marines that planed that drop was Michael Anderson, Jeremy Taggart and Daniel Williams. I was the team leader. We worked for several days planning that drop."

"I was there the day that building came down. Very impressive Colonel. So after you had your target areas..."

"We had only hours to plan and we ran numerous simulations until we had the best possible outcome."

"Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't you bluff them into lowering the field over the Hanger?"

"Yes sir I did. The field knocked out Andromeda's engines and was over the Hanger doors. In order for the plan to work, we had to have stingers outside the ship. With the field in place the stinger's engines would have been knocked out. I told them that the field was affecting life support. At first they balked at the idea until I told them that if one person died as the result of losing life support the deal was off. They went for it and lowered the field over the Engine room and Hanger. To forestall you next question, the stingers were part of a bogus honor guard for the Chosen One. And no I still had no intention of surrendering myself to them."

"So basically you lied when you told them about the life support?"

"Yes I lied and I would do it again to keep Andromeda safe." Kacey stated. "After the field was down, we dressed one of the medical CPR dummies in a flight suit with a helmet and placed it into the stinger that was damaged beyond repair from a storm on Eternus. The Whiz Kids set the Stinger up with a remote control that could be operated from one of the shuttles."

"Whiz Kids?"

"Yes, they were the other two I was ordered to take. But unlike their cousin, they wanted to make good. They became invaluable to us. In fact they both have re-upped and have been promoted to Sergeants." Kacey stated with pride."

"According to your report, several stingers went out, then the dummy ship, followed by more stingers and shuttles."

"That is correct. We had to plan this down to the very second or the Megarans would see it for the ruse it was. As the time wound down, the honor guard backed off and the stinger exploded. That was the signal for all the guns on Andromeda and the stingers to open fire. The field came down. At that point I only know what I was told."

"The destruction of that field was almost you destruction also, Colonel."

"Yes sir." Kacey agreed.

"You had superior fire power and shields, why then did you go through all that? Why not just destroy them? They attacked Andromeda first. You would have been well within your right to fire back and protect yourselves."

"General we were not out there to destroy civilizations and start wars. You may think that we were cowards because we went for a peaceful solution first. Your kind would."

"Excuse me, Colonel, would you care to explain that last statement?"

"Yes I will. People like you General Wilhelm are always so quick to send other people into wars, yet you sit safe and sound behind your desk." Kacey stated and looked directly at him.

"I resent that remark Colonel."

"You can resent it all you want, General, but that does not lessen the truth."

"Time to stop this line before we get into another shouting match." General Millhouse stated.

"Tell me Colonel, did you know before the destruction of the field, that you would have such a reaction to it?"

"I knew I would have some sort of reaction. I did not know how bad it would be."

"Yet you did it anyway?"

"I did it anyway." Kacey confirmed.

"I doubt that Captain Jensen would ever authorize that move."

"She would not have if she had been told. No one knew but myself."

"Did you have a death wish?"

"No sir I did not. It does all go back to those original orders I was given. To protect the ship, I would also protect Captain Jensen."

"You did not always succeed in those orders did you Colonel?"

Kacey knew they question would come up but did not expect it so soon. She paused before answering. "No sir, I did not. That day will forever be with me."

"No you did not." The Admiral repeated. "Would you care to explain, why? When you knew that the animals on that world were dangerous, why did you not take better care? Or better yet, not allow Captain Jensen off the ship?" Kacey looked at them as she recalled that day. "Do you not remember that day Colonel?"

"Admiral, I will never forget what happened that day. It is hard to speak of."

"Because you failed to keep Captain Jensen Safe? You failed to fulfill your orders."

"Yes sir. That day I failed." Kacey stated, as she picked up the glass of water. "We were a hundred kilometers from the wild animal side. The stingers had mapped the planet and all they could find on that side were grass eaters. The decision was made to give the planet another chance. Scouting parties were sent down. With stinger protection we proceeded on foot."

"You had rovers on board yet you did not use them. Why?"

"With Andromeda unable to land, the decision was made to go on foot rather than have the shuttles carry the rovers down. After that day we utilized the rovers at every chance."

"We all watched the videos and read the reports. What in your opinion happened that day?"

"I let my guard down and was not as observant as I should have been."

"Colonel we are going to show you a picture. I would like you to describe exactly what you see." The screen behind the General lit up.

"That is a tree with very low hanging branches. That is the tree that held the nest of geniticall altered hornets."

"This picture was taken from the video of the mission before Captain Jensen was stung. We have had experts going over this picture searching for any dangers. They were unable to see that nest even magnifying the branches. Why do you persist in blaming yourself?" General Millhouse asked.

"I am to blame General. I let my guard down and the results were almost fatal to Captain Jensen. From that day forward I never let my guard down again and caused many arguments between us."

"Yet despite feeling guilty, you still stepped up to keep the ship running smoothly."

"I had to General. I owed it to Captain Jensen to keep her ship flying. It was not something I wanted to do, but yes as ranking officer, I stepped in."

"From all the reports, you did a fine job, Colonel."

"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe this is a good place to stop for the day. We will reconvene tomorrow morning at zero nine hundred hours." General Millhouse stated and ended the debriefings for the day. Kacey stood at attention until the Generals filed out. She stared at the empty table for several minutes before she turned and left the room. She did not stop until she was out on the grounds of the administration building, where she sat on the low wall surrounding the fountain and stared at the flowing water. The afternoon sun was still hot on her head. Kacey tried to put the afternoon behind her. She quickly lost track of the amount of time she stared at the water. The slight breeze off the ocean kept the day from being unbearably hot and oppressive. Her normal ram rod straight posture was gone and the unusual slump in her shoulders was evident.

Kate stepped outside as her day's debriefings was over. Anya waited for her under one of the large trees that dotted the grounds.

"This is a nice surprise." Kate stated as she kissed Anya. "How was your day?"

"My retirement has been accepted and will become official after our twelve weeks vacation. How about yours?"

"The afternoon was not bad once I put the Admirals in their place."

"What? Why would you do that?"

"They were attacking Kacey and they found out the hard way that I would not permit that. She told me at lunch that she went off on the Generals when they tried to do the same."

" I watched her come out about thirty minutes ago. From her actions I think she had a very hard afternoon. She walked right past as if she did not see me and has been sitting at the fountain since then."

"Only one topic could have put that defeated droop in her shoulders."

"Shall we go get her?" Anya asked.

"Yes otherwise she might stay there all night." Kate answered. They walked to the fountain confident that Kacey would hear them and turn around. Kacey continued to stare at the water. "You look as if you lost you last friend." Kate joked as they approached. Kacey did not respond, move or even give any indication that she heard them. Kate looked at Anya as they sat on either side of Kacey. "If you are thinking of jumping in the water is only three feet deep. and is frowned upon by the brass."

"Not to mention putting bubble bath in the water." Anya joked. "Like someone we all know and love did all those years ago."

Kate placed a hand on Kacey's arm and felt just the slightest reaction. "Hey are you with us?"

"For now." Kacey said softly.

"Are you planning on going somewhere?"

"Perhaps I just do not think this is the life for me anymore."

"They brought up the time I was stung correct? What did they say to have you thinking about quitting?"

"Just when I think I have the guilt safely tucked away in a locked section, they come and reopen all the old wounds."

"That is what they are supposed to do. They want to see how you react and handle the criticism. These debriefings can make or break an officer. They put your every action under scrutiny and try to make you fall apart."

"General Wilhelm did just that. But he also has other reasons."

"Wilhelm? Wait a minute isn't that the name of the jerk who was kicked out a week before graduation."

"That is the one. I think he has held a grudge."

"They will try to break you, but do not let them. You are much stronger than that. They will poke and prod and try to get into your head to play mind games with you. If they know they can get to you they will continue until you break. Just remember they cannot break you. You are a Marine. Do you hear what I am telling you? Put that lead pipe back into your spine. You are a fucking Marine. Those generals cannot break you." Anya stated.

Kacey was shocked by the swear word Anya used to straighten up. "They cannot break me."

"Good, now let's go home. I can use a stiff drink." Kate stated.

"Me too." Kacey replied. "With all the cameras around how did you manage to get bubble bath into the fountain without getting caught."

"What makes you think it was me?" They laughed as they walked off the grounds. Kate looked around then whispered. "It was me and I will tell you about how I did it another time."

"Tell me Anya did you drop the 'F' bomb for shock value?"

"Why, did it work?"

"Because in all the years I have known you, I have heard you say that word maybe twice. And yes it did work."


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To be continued...

 

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