A/N: It's been several years since 'Avon's Little Girl' and Serran is almost 19 now. Avon and Vila are 54 and well settled into their estate. Just when things look normal, chaos breaks into their little world.
Neither the characters from Blake's Seven nor Darkover belong to me. I just like to play with them!
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The ship was approaching what at first appeared to be a desolate, deserted planet.
"Are you sure this is the correct planet?" the young man at the controls asked the woman sitting beside him.
"Positive," she answered. "It has been many years but I could not forget something that important."
"I understand." He laid a graceful hand over her forearm.
"Son," she hesitated, "when this last task is completed, perhaps we can all live in peace. I simply have to be sure; that's why we came."
A tell-tale light flashed, then the soft buzz of an alarm.
"Initiating landing sequence," he called out softly. "We're almost there, mother.
A sudden, unexpected concussion rocked the craft.
"What was that?"
"When I was here before," she explained, "the atmosphere had been seeded with random proximity mines. Be very careful."
He skillfully piloted the ship into the atmosphere. It lowered, then skimmed the surface.
"Bring us to cruising speed, Torr, and set the sensors to detect any foreign structures or life forms. I'm positive they're still here. They had no way to leave."
He did as instructed, his eyes on the viewscreen before him while she watched the main viewport.
It took several passes and half an orbit before the sensors reported anything unusual. "There," he pointed to a tiny blip. "It doesn't look like much but it does register as man-made rather than natural."
"It's a beginning," she whispered. "Oh, Blake, you'd better be down there."
The sensor array began to glow, indicating a heat source below. Torr slowed the ship's speed and descent so that it was only a scant fifteen meters from the surface.
"Careful," she cautioned him. "We don't know what we'll find after all these years."
"I'm always careful, mother."
She looked into his face, his voice taking her back in time. "You look so much like you r father, Torr." She ran a finger down his smooth cheek.
"You know I don't like to be reminded of that."
Their exchange was interrupted by a sudden beeping from the sensor panel. "That's what I was looking for," she said with a smile. "Now there's just one more thing to locate."
Torr nodded, adjusting the control for a very narrow beam.
He peered intently at the screen as the equipment searched for something he'd only been told about. If it existed, and Torr had no doubt that it did, they would find it, use it, and then destroy it!
"We'll be touching down in less that two minutes, mother."
"Excellent. Just make sure we're not seen by whoever is occupying those buildings."
"I've had my detector screens at maximum since before we made orbit. They are still registering at one-hundred percent. There's no way they could have spotted us." He turned his attention to bringing the ship to a smooth landing.
They un-strapped, secured the ship and exited. "It appears we have a short walk ahead of us." She indicated the low cluster of buildings in the distance. "Shall we go?" she said, quirking a dark, arching eyebrow.
They walked in silence, each lost in thoughts of revenge and retribution.
Oh, yes, she thought. You have much to atone for, Avon, and it won't be long now. It's taken me years but my wait is almost over. You WILL fall!
Surprisingly, the detector beam led them away from the buildings. A frown wrinkled the young man's pale, unlined brow. "You're sure the weapon is still operational?" Torr asked her.
"As sure as I can be without testing it."
He pointed. "It appears to be located approximately one kilometer in that direction."
They walked in silence a bit longer, Torr constantly checking his pocket sensor. "I think we've reached it." Pulled the small shovel from his backpack, he began to dig. "According to the sensor," he said, "it should be less than a meter down."
She saw the intense look on the young man's face at the unaccustomed physical exertion. You are so much like him it hurts me. I just hope it hurts him as much when the time comes.
"Why they didn't just destroy it?" Torr wondered aloud as he dug, his voice as labored as his breathing.
She shrugged delicately. "Perhaps they meant to retrieve it and use it again someday, who knows?"
After a time, Torr's spade struck something hard. "I think I may have found it."
"Careful then, son. I'll help you." Oblivious to the dirt staining her white jumpsuit, she knelt in the soil and helped him pull the long narrow box from its hiding place.
Torr opened the lid, pulling the marking portion out and handing the activator to his mother. "What kind of a test did you have in mind?"
"There are only two human inhabitants on this world," she answered. "They should suffice. Shall we go and introduce ourselves?"
They walked back toward the group of buildings, neither of them speaking, as her plans of revenge solidified into cold reality.
At the entrance to the compound, Torr took the lead, making sure his mother was shielded behind him. He drew his own weapon, walking carefully, listening for anything to indicate the buildings were still occupied. They went into what appeared to be the main entrance. Looking around, it was obvious that the building were either in use now or very recently had been. The layer of dust that had covered everything years before was gone. It was clean, orderly and spartan.
"Who are you?" The quiet, female voice startled them both.
The woman turned languidly, appraising the woman. "You don't remember me, do you, Rashel?"
"Servalan?" Disbelief colored her reaction. This was the last person she'd expected to see here.
A wintry smile spread across her lips. She cocked her head slightly. "Well, perhaps I've not changed that much then, have I?'
"I would have known you anywhere," she bit out.
"I'm flattered." Servalan smiled, inclining her head with a graciousness that had charmed many heads of state. Then she went deadly serious, her dark eyes boring into the younger woman's. "Now, where's Blake?"
"He's not here. I haven't seen him for months."
"You're lying, Rashel, badly. You haven't been living here alone for long, if at all." She picked up a large, battered jacket from the back of a chair. "I suppose this is yours, then?"
She hesitated, searching for a believable lie. "He left it behind in case I needed it."
"Well, if you insist, we'll just have to conduct our little test on you." She turned to Torr, who pointed the weapon at the now terrified Rashel and pulled the trigger.
Before she even had the chance to scream, Servalan pressed the button on the activator and Rashel crumpled to the cement floor.
"Well, at least we know it still works," Torr commented, with no feeling for the woman his mother had just murdered.
"Oh, yes," she whispered, "but we must make sure no one ever has the chance to use it on us." Servalan took the rifle portion of the weapon from him and placed it on the ground between them. "Destroy it, Torr."
The young man did as directed, grinding the thing under his boots, jumping back to avoid the sparks when the weapon exploded.
"Our mission here is accomplished, my son. It's time we left."
The pair left the compound quickly, taking the IMIPAK activator with them.
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A/N: We can guess where she's headed next, but will she come upon Avon and Vila unprepared? Find out in the next chapter, 'The Visitor'.