Chapter 42

"No, I should get that" Aayla said to Guzman, she looked in the mirror behind him and saw that she looked like a woman who had been throughly kissed. Her hair was mussed, her lips slightly swollen, she even had the starts of beard rash thanks to Guzman's stubble. The knock sounded again and she shook herself from her analysis and pulled her hair loose of it's bun and remade it as she rushed to the door. She took a deep breath and opened the door to find General St Claire on her front doorstep.

"Lieutenant" She said in a warm and friendly manner. Aayla knew it was a ruse as the woman didn't have a warm bone in her body but then there were people walking by so she had to put on a show.

"General" Aayla said trying to school her features as she knew how she looked and even though she knew on some level she was supposed to be fraternising with Guzman. She was still couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed at getting caught.

"May I come in?" St Claire asked in a mocking polite manner, Aayla looked over her shoulder wondering if Guzman was going to hide in her bathroom or sneak out. At least he had turned off the shower but it didn't give her much comfort. She looked back at the General who looked equal parts annoyed and amused as it was not standard for a General to have to ask permission for anything.

"With Respect, it's not a good time, Ma'am" Aayla told her.

"Open the door" St Claire said, Aayla steeled her and opened the door wide and as the General stepped into the house Guzman had decided to step out of the bathroom.

"General" Guzman said in his usual professional manner. He acted as if nothing were indecent about a male non comissioned officer being off duty and in the house of a single female commissioned officer's home.

"Sergeant. What are you doing here?" St Claire asked just as the teapot squealed, making it known to everyone that the water was boiled.

"Lieutenant Cross and I are going over interrogation logs" Guzman said as he moved to the stove and turned off the heat. Aayla knew the General was just soaking up the facts of Guzman here alone with her, showing familiarity and comfort in her shared house with Alicia. It was throwing up major red flags but the question was did the General believe their relationship to be real was quite another. If anything she looked unimpressed and turned to Aayla.

"I see, well then I'll leave you to your work and Lieutenant a few words outside" St Claire said, her mouth forming a thin line.

"Yes, Ma'am" Aayla said, she followed the General outside and closed the front door behind her. They moved to the pebble path and St Claire turned to her. She said nothing for what felt like a long time as two people passed by but once it seemed they were relatively alone she spoke.

"When Taylor came to me looking perturbed about you and his sergeant I thought he was having me on. Right now I should be dressing you down but honestly I'm impressed you've finally stepped up to the task at hand. Do you have anything for me?" St Claire asked her, while her exterior said she was less than impressed Aayla could hear the amusement and delight in her tone. It made her skin crawl to think she had made the General believe she had prostituted herself for the woman's gains.

"No, not yet as I've told you on countless occasions it takes time to cultivate a relationship-"

"-of trust and openness" St Claire finished mockingly, she rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "Maybe if you opened your legs more quickly he will trust you to tell you something of use like what Taylor's concerns are and if he suspects anything" St Claire said, she really needed to know if the man had noticed that all his outposts had gone dark yet. It was crucial for him to stay blissfully ignorant for another two 'pilgrimages' as she was bringing more soldiers in under the guise that they were 'civilians'. Once her soldiers were placed in key positions around the colony she would call her armies to the colony and finally establish a proper foothold.

"I didn't realise I had a schedule to keep and the only concerns the commander has had over Major Sagara and his infatuation with Alicia Washington" Aayla said, it was the only thing she could think to give the General as it was common knowledge and wouldn't harm anyone.

"Sagara? why?" St Claire asked looking bored.

"Competition" Aayla supplied though she was tempted to tell the General that Sagara had tried to drug Alicia but then Aayla needed that tibit of information to use as blackmail. It would be an ace up her sleeve to hopefully get something useful out of the Major.

"Yes, one Major Sagara is losing to an old man. You were supposed to help him" St Claire said.

"There's an old saying Ma'am. You can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink it" Aayla said it was better for her to speak platitudes than admit she'd rather eat her left foot than help Major Sagara.

"Your impertinence is quite unnecessary" St Claire said in a dower manner.

"Alicia's affections still lie with one of the sixers" Aayla said.

"Carter. Tell me why we still can't find out his true identity?" St Claire asked, Aayla shook her head.

"No, I believe we would need an active link to 2157 to do so as he is not in the Colony's databases." Aayla said, the man also still had his uses and Aayla knew he and the other sixers would soon be needed as St Claire would have them outnumbered for sure.

"Send me his datapacket and I'll have it transmitted to 2157 tonight"

"tonight? don't you mean tomorrow when the next pilgrimage comes through and the portal is open"

"Of course, where is my mind?" St Claire said, silently cursing her slip of the tongue. "Well send me the datapacket anyway and I will have it forwarded. You should go back to your 'work' with Sergeant Guzman and do try to be more discreet. If Taylor notices you two again I will have to file charges against you both" St Claire told her, and with that the woman walked away, summarily dismissing Aayla.

Aayla watched the woman walk away, wondering how much longer the General would pretend to be the colony's generous and kind leader. She looked to the side and outside the fence, with the outposts gone dark it was only a matter of days. She gave a sigh wondering how much longer she would straddle the fence; she would have to make a decision about her future and Ethan's. She reluctantly turned on her feet and headed back to the house.

"What did she want?" Guzman asked her as soon as she closed the door. Aayla bristled at his lack of respect, she outranked in and they were not friends which made his question and his demeanour as if he were superior to her irk her even more.

"An update" Aayla said in a guarded manner. She wished Sagara hadn't drugged her, that she had kept her stupid mouth shut. If she had then they would all be pretending not to know anything and that seemed far simplier than their current situation.

"What exactly did you tell her?" he asked as he poured out two cups of tea and placed them on the dining table.

"Are you my handler now?" Aayla asked as she sat down at the table opposite him.

"Yes, I am your handler. You have a problem with that?" He asked her but his tone and demeanour said he wouldn't care what her answer was. She wondered why he was being so dominating now when before he sat quietly in the shadows.

"No" She answered as she assumed it would be better to play along.

"So what did you tell her?"

"That Sagara is failing as his job to garner Alicia's affections"

"He's a spy as well?" Guzman asked. Somehow she knew he already knew the answer to the question and now he was interrogating her to see whether she was being truthful or not. Trust seemed to a highly priced commodity in Terra Nova.

"I hate to break it to you but we're all spies as long as we're useful to St Claire we live" She told him in a mocking manner.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"She made an unintentional slip, that she could send a datapacket to 2157" Aayla told him.

"I thought an open portal was required for that" he said.

"Not my area of expertise" Aayla snapped, she sighed and dropped her head into her hands. "Sorry" she muttered under her breath. Shelifted her head and looked at Guzman. He opened his mouth to speak but the front door opened before he could say anything.

"Hello" Alicia said cheerily as she came into the house, her smile slipped as she immediately noticed the tension. "What's going on?" she asked as she looked between Aayla and Guzman.

"Nothing" Guzman said.

"We're strategising" Aayla said

"About?" Alicia asked.

"What to do with the Sixers, I believe 2157 have found a way to open the portal from their end without Lucas' help and they are currently keeping an open connection" Aayla said, she looked at Guzman wondering if he would call her out on her bald face lie or let it go.

"That is supposition from one slip of a word from the General" Guzman told her, allowing her the small lie. Aayla looked to Alicia and explained how they were having trouble discerning the true identities of some of sixers, namely Carter. It perturbed the General because it was in relation with Alicia and somehow the woman wanted to exploit him in some plan yet to be uncovered.

"She said tonight but the terminus should be inactive without a portal" Alicia said frowning.

"Once again, this is not my field of expertise" Aayla told Alicia.

"I know who to talk to about it" Alicia said.

"Just try not to make waves, it could have been an intentional slip to test my loyalty to her" Aayla told her.

The next morning,

Lucas reluctantly rolled out of bed and endured the breakfast his father made. If one called half cooked and slightly burnt porridge 'breakfast'. How the old man could destroy Lucas' campaign yet not be able to master the art of a simple meal bemused Lucas. If he didn't know any better he would think his father was trying to punish him but the old man sat down with a larger portion of the same gunk and ate it with gusto.

After which they left the house and headed to the main square. The place was already abuzz with action as soldiers and medical staff ran around packing up gear and getting the convoy ready. Lucas wished that his role weren't so vital as he'd much prefer to stay in the Colony and spend some time with Amelia. Hell it ate at him that he was going as Dunham would surely swoop in and try to steal Amelia away from him. He shouldn't feel so insecure but Amelia was too nice for her own good, he could just imagine Dunham pretending to be her 'friend'. Then planting seeds in her head and with the help of the colony by the time he got back she would turned around and telling him to take a hike.

Just thinking of the situation made his stomach twist though he'd prefer to think it was breakfast as he didn't like how Amelia had become a weakness of his. He moved to a rhino to hand over his pack only to have Dunham face him, in total body armour.

"Dunham" Lucas drawled, he handed his backpack to the man.

"Taylor" Dunham said mockingly as he tossed Lucas' backpack into the back of the rhino with little care. Lucas expected the juvenile behaviour which was why he carried his purple device on his person.

"Aren't you staying behind?" Lucas asked. Dunham gave a shrug.

"Not that it's any of your business but Reynolds is down with the flu. I'm covering his guard duty. So you're stuck with me for a few days" He told him, somehow the knowledge made Lucas feel better as he'd rather have Dunham away from Amelia.

"Great" Lucas drawled.

"What's the hold up?" Elisabeth asked, the men turned to see her and Alicia holding several bags loaded with gear waiting for them to move. Neither woman looked impressed. Lucas gave them a droll look while inwardly wishing he could wipe the patronizing look Elisabeth Shannon was giving him but he couldn't as he didn't have the power. Something that still stung as he missed having that sense of power.

"Nothing, Ma'am. Let me stow your gear" Dunham offered in a good natured manner. Suck up.. Lucas thought scathingly as he watched the guy stow the women's gear away in the back like it was fine china.

"Thanks Dunham, hey I'll snag us the first rover" Elisabeth said enthusiastically to Alicia.

"You do that but I'm driving" she told Elisabeth as she handed the last of her gear over to Dunham. "Thanks Dunham" Alicia said, she didn't even acknowledge Lucas' presence but then it was too early in the morning for Lucas to be bothered to point that out.

"You're welcome Ma'am" Dunham said he and Lucas watched Alicia move to the front of the convoy where Taylor stood with Dr Shannon talking amongst themselves. "So, you riding with me?" Dunham asked Lucas in a mocking manner.

"Yes, of course. I even made a playlist of all your favourite songs to celebrate this momentous event" Lucas drawled in a dry manner.

"I look forward to it" Dunham replied before walking away.

"How long do I have to stay here? You said three days but it's been longer" Dr Covington said to General St Claire as they stood alone on the balcony of the Command Centre and looked down at the main square.

"I know but I'm not sending you back until we manage to get the girl's biomaterial to supply the cloning facility and begin manufacturing" St Claire told him, it was shame she couldn't just make the girl have an 'accident' with Lucas and her guardian Alicia were OTG but it was too soon and she wanted the girl to be injured badly enough to need medical attention but to have the perpetrator keep Taylor and his people distracted.

"And how long will I have to wait?" Dr Covington asked.

"Not long" St Claire told him.

"How long?" he asked impatiently.

"My aren't you impatient to leave Paradise. It should be within the next two weeks. As you know we can't simple take what we need yet-"

"Oh yes you're wooing them over" Dr Covington said mockingly. He didn't understand the subtly of St Claire's work. She preferred to have everything in place before she turned the tables on Taylor and his son.

"More like lulling them into a false sense of security. I want to limit the collateral damage. Anyway I have your surgical team and some unsavoury people coming through on this 'pilgrimage' who will assist you in getting what you need without starting another war in this timeline" St. Claire told Covington.

"Here I thought you enjoyed going to war" Covington said in a slightly mocking manner. St Claire couldn't help but smile at his comment.

"Only when I know I will gain something. We go to war with this colony and win we will lose not only time but valuable resources" St Claire told him.

"So I have to remain here another two weeks or more" he said less than enthused. It made St Claire want to laugh as he was the only person who found fresh air and beautiful scenery to be displeasurable.

"Yes but I'm sure you'll barely notice it go by" She drawled sarcastically.

Hours later,

They had were three quarters of the way to terminus, the sun was starting to settle as it was mid afternoon. The convoy had stopped twice for driver changeovers and after enduring Elisabeth idea of driving, Alicia was glad to settle behind the wheel again. So for the past hour she listened to Elisabeth drone on about her husband and family as they drove through the badlands. She admired the beauty in the desolation but she found the dry heat intolerable, give her a 24 degree celcius day, low humidity, partly cloudy autumn day and she was in heaven.

Alicia's eyes scanned the trail ahead for hazards, Rovers were designed for all terrain but she didn't like the idea of testing a seven year old vehicle's suspension out in the badlands. Nor did she want to run over any small animals, there was nothing more rank than having a dead animal burning in the undercarriage of a vehicle. It never smelt like a barbeque. Never and with that grim thought in her mind she spotted a dark object in the distance but at the speed she was tearing at it would be under the rover's wheels in matter of seconds.

So she made an executive decision and without warning took her foot off the accelerator while she pulled on the wheel.

"I told Mad-Whoa" Elisabeth gripped the dashboard as Alicia swerved the rover and pulled it to a sharp stop. Dust flew up into the air. "What happened?" Elisabeth asked and half coughed as Alicia put the vehicle in park and turned off the engine.

"There's something in the road" Alicia told Elisabeth, she jumped out of the rover and pulled out her comm, ordering the proceeding vehicles to divert from their course and pull to safely to a stop. She watched as the oncoming convoy diverted from their course before she moved back to take a closer look at the object she had swerved to miss. She neared it slowly as she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Is that?" Elisabeth asked, she like Alicia were shocked by the discovery.

"That is Private Hemmings' head" Alicia said, they both exchanged looks before looking down at the head again. It looked like it had been in the elements and at the mercy of the local wildlife as the eyes were gone, dirt and dried blood streaked what was left of the skin as most of the flesh from the face had been torn from the skull. Insects buzzed and crawled through what remained. The only reason Alicia could identify it was Hemmings was by what was left of tribal tattoo that he had had done on his skull as some kind of old initiation rites with the culture he came from.

"It looks like it was severed by an animal" Elisabeth said jumping straight into 'Coroner' mode, analysing the severed head. Alicia looked ahead in the distance for a moment they were still half an hour away from their destination. She moved carefully around the head, looking at the ground for animal activity, it wasn't recent as the tracks were nearly gone.

"I'd say by the rate of decay and insect activity that this happened at least a few days. I can't guess any further without referencing it in the labs" Elisabeth told her.

"I concur. I have a bad feeling about this" Alicia said, she had also had a feeling that they would discover the Terminus unguarded. Something that didn't bode well for the colony and it was high time in Alicia's mind that they started making action plans as it seemed that St Claire was hastening her takeover of the colony.

"Wasn't he supposed to be on guard duty with three other soldiers?" Elisabeth asked her.

"Yeah, which is why I need to call this in" Alicia told her grimly.

TBC- Thank you for your patience :-)