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« What did you do with my ship? What happened to the Liberator?”
So, Tarrant thought, this is Blake. This burly, ugly, scarred, grim looking man wsthe one Avon has been chasing around the universe, risking our lives. Barging in, bullying Avon, shouting at him, ignoring everyone else. Great. I hate him already. Tarrant took a step forward, a protective move that seemed out of character. Avon still held the weapon he’d grabbed a few minutes ago, when a shuttle had asked permission to board Scorpio. Before he knew it was Blake.
“What happened to you, Blake? What did you do with yourself?” Avon asked, still wary, staring at the man he recognized all too well in spite of all.
“Lower the gun, Avon. It’s dangerous.” Blake said, raising a conciliatory hand, his voice softer. Tarrant wondered if he’d seen the madness in Avon’s eyes. “I come in peace.”
“Do you? That didn’t sound like a very peaceful introduction.”
“Come on Avon!” Vila chimed in. “It’s Blake! Why don’t you just drop the gun?” But he didn’t come closer to Avon. Something had happened between those two that wouldn’t be easily mended.
Blake stood very still, his hands in front of him, palms up, an offer of peace. Avon dropped the gun and it fell to the floor. Everyone in the room released the breath they’d been holding.
"How do you call her? The ship?” Blake asked.
Tarrant came to stand next to Avon, feeling the need to present a united front against the man who had so unceremoniously broken into their lives.
“She’s called Scorpio. I am her pilot. Del Tarrant.” If Tarrant expected an acknowledgement, it didn’t happen. Blake’s attention was fixed solely on Avon.
“Teleport system?” he asks. Avon nodded before Tarrant could say something.
“Fast?”
“Almost as fast as Liberator.” Was it pride in Avon’s voice?
Blake smiled slightly. “We could use her,” he said
“And who would that us be?” Vila asked, cautious.
“I have a base down on a small planet called Gauda Prime. My troops…”
“Ah because you have troops now,” Avon said with cold irony. “What a progress. Last time I saw you it was only the few of us. I’m surprised you didn’t defeat the Federation yet.”
Blake was obviously used to this kind of reaction from Avon. He smiled amiably. “I was waiting for you, Avon. I wouldn’t think of destroying the Federation without your help.”
Hell, Tarrant thought, glancing at Vila who was rolling his eyes. Is this some weird sort of courtship?
“Now will you tell me what happened to the Liberator?”
Before Avon could answer Vila spoke up. “You know,” he said, taking a step forward, making his best to diffuse the tension. “I think this calls for some kind of celebration. Why don’t we sit down and have a drink?” The jibe was Vila’s usual but the weariness in Vila’s voice was not Tarrant thought.
None of the men paid him any attention. Blake and Avon were in a private world of their own where no one else was admitted. Tarrant hated to be pushed aside; he couldn’t contain himself any longer.
“The Liberator was destroyed by some alien parasite while we were trapped on Terminal looking for you, Blake. We haven’t been doing much anything but looking for you that past year so I’d like to see a little more…”
“Tarrant. Shut up.” Ah so you don’t want him to know, do you? This is new.
“Looking for me? Is that true Avon?” Blake sounded surprised and rather pleased, but still cautious.
“Oh and by the way,” Tarrant continued, “since you seem to be the real Blake, you might want to know that Cally died on Terminal too.”
This time Avon said nothing and when Blake gave him a questioning look, Vila said, not too gently, “You see, Avon was so obsessed with you that he fell headlong into Servalan’s neat little trap. Come on, Avon, tell Blake about how you jumped down to find him down there! Tell him how Servalan got us in the end, and the Liberator. A chance it was destroyed. But Cally….” His voice broke. “Cally didn’t make it.”
The silence stretched uncomfortably. Blake seemed to make sense of what he’d just heard.
“Maybe we should talk about this,” he suggested, treading carefully this time.
“There’s nothing more to discuss, Blake. What Vila and Tarrant said is the entire truth.”
Even the “I’ve been obsessively looking for you” part, so, Tarrant thought, suppressing a smile.
“If you wish,” Blake said quietly. “You can come to my base on Gauda Prime. I would do with a pilot and new recruits. And of course Avon, you and Vila are most welcome.”
Tarrant realized how tired and defeated they all looked. He knew that Avon was at the end of his rope, holding on by some unknown source of energy and even him suddenly looked on the verge of collapsing.
“You can leave whenever you like, of course. With her,” Blake added. “Scorpio is yours.”
The admission was Avon’s undoing. “Why not,” he said and thinking of something suddenly, he asked, “How’s Jenna?” and Tarrant knew it was the wrong question to ask.
“She died during a mission.” Blake’s answer seemed to echo between the walls. Vila looked sick. Avon averted his eyes.
“I’m sending the coordinates of my base." Blake said. "I’ll wait for you down there.”
Tarrant expected Avon to say something, remind them he was the one in command but he didn’t. Blake took three steps forward, crossing the distance between them. “I’m glad to have you back, Avon,” he said. “I missed you a lot.”
Avon didn’t answer. He allowed Blake to put a hand on his shoulder and leave it long enough for the rest of them to see. It was a proprietary, possessive gesture. Then Blake walked out and Vila followed. “I’ll go with you, Blake.” he said. “I never felt safe with Avon.”
After they were gone and Blake’s ship had left, Avon stood there, silent and very still. After a couple of minutes he sighed and turned to Tarrant. “Let’s give it a try,” he said. “See what the fearless leader has in stock for us.” He had regained some composure now that Blake was gone. “As soon as Dayna and Soolin are back, take Scorpio down to Gauda Prime. Until then, I’d rather be alone.”
At least, Tarrant thought, Blake had been rather welcoming and honest despite the vicious look. It would be good to have someone who knew what he was doing. Their situation didn't feel so grim suddenly. When Dayna and Soolin came up, they found him smiling broadly and it was with renewed enthusiasm that they started their descent towards Gauda Prime.