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The Long Night

Authors: Claudia L Fravel
Categories: Tony/Maya
Characters: Maya, Tony Verdeschi
Episodes: Set after The Dorcons
Show Year: Y3
Rating: PG
Date: 2001
Tony and Maya must face their fear, guilt and pain in the aftermath of the Dorcon attack.
First published in the fanzine "Lunar Adventure Stories"
Average Rating: 5.0/5 (based on 4 reviews)

Tony Verdeschi could not sleep. He stared at the dimly lit wall on the far side of the room, illuminated by the small nightlight from the bathroom. Wrapped in his arms, with her back toward him was Maya; her steady breathing and the unique beat of her Psychon heart his anchor in the night. She had no problem drifting off to sleep. 'No wonder', he thought. 'After she went through today.' That thought made him embrace her just a little tighter. He had lost her today. She had been violently ripped away from him. If it had not been for the quick action by John and the twisted greed of Malic, one of the very monsters of a race that would commit genocide, she would not be here right now. 'Dorcons', he thought bitterly. 'How can I protect her from beings like that? Hell, how can I protect anyone? A lot of good I did today, I got myself shot.' When he came to in Command Center she was gone, along with John. 'Maybe that's why I can't sleep. I'm afraid that when I wake again that she will be gone.' He traced the glow from the open bathroom door and followed the shadows that it cast. Once again the events of the day played through his mind.


When the effect of the stun had worn off and Tony came to, Helena had been there. She told him what had happened.

"Oh no, not John too," Tony said. They shared in each other's loss but both held on to the thread of hope that John would bring her back. A thread that Tony held onto for dear life. This was his worst nightmare. Dealing with such a loss and having the full command of the base dropped in his lap. If they did not return he would catch it both ways.

He prepared the base for another attack he knew they could not defend against. In pain and desperation he wanted to lash out at them, to throw everything Alpha had at that ship. It just hovered there above the base as if mocking them. He knew it would not make a dent and provoking them would only bring more death and destruction to Alpha. The only thing to do was nothing and hope the ship would just leave them alone. Hours passed and hope began to fade.

Helena had gone to Medical Center when the injured were brought in but had since returned. She just sat at the medical desk staring at the Dorcon ship on the screen. Tony had paced the center until his feet ached.

He stopped at his desk and said, "Why in the hell is that ship still there?" Everyone in the center looked at him but no one answered. "Maybe after they get what they want they will finish us off anyway," he added.

Tony sat and closed his eyes, he had never felt so helpless. Even with Balor he had some kind of plan of attack. 'Are they still alive?' he thought. The images Maya described and the desperate plea she had made for someone to kill her flooded his memory. He started to feel himself lose control, grief taking over and tears forming in his eyes. He shut his eyes tighter and clinched his fists. 'Get a grip Verdeschi. You can't do this here, not in the middle of Command Center. Too many people need you now.' It was Sandra's call from technical warning of a power buildup that brought Tony back and out of his chair. When the beam lit up the front of the center his heart leapt into his throat and he reached for his laser. When John and Maya suddenly appeared in the middle of it, his heart threatened to jump out of his mouth. She saw him and rushed into his waiting arms. Together they watched the Dorcon ship explode.

"Are you all right?" Tony asked, checking her over as best he could.

"Yes," Maya replied and paused, checking her molecular structure. "Yes, I am fine Tony."

Beside them Helena was doing the same with John. "Your hands," she said looking at the deep cuts the air grates had caused. She tried to get both John and Maya to go to Medical Center but John said it could wait and Maya refused to leave Command Center. Tony stayed close by her side as she scanned for other ships. At first he was worried about her but after an hour passed and the scans came up negative, Maya began to relax. With no more Dorcons, and repair crews sealing up the base, Tony felt he could relax also.

"You know Maya, I was just wondering something," Tony said.

"What?"

"Is there anything else in your Psychon past we ought to know about?"

"That's a highly improper question to ask any lady Tony."

"Oh, I beg your pardon," Tony said. As he turned away he smiled, she was going to be all right. Helena tried again to get her to go to Medical Center but Maya said all she needed was rest.

"Then that's where you're going right now," Tony said. When Maya did not take his out stretched arm, he added, "Come on, let's go. You don't want me to pull rank on you." Maya took his arm and sheepishly said, "Yes sir."


After arriving at her quarter's Maya was out as soon as her head hit the pillow. Tony had not slept a wink. He carefully rolled over, trying not to disturb her, to look at the clock that read 02:00. 'Five hours I've been lying here awake.'

"Tony," Maya called. He jumped slightly. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" she asked.

"No, I wasn't asleep. But I woke you up, sorry."

"It's all right," she rolled over on her back. "Have you slept any tonight?"

"No."

There was a long pause then Maya finally said, "The answer to your question is no. There should not be anything else from my past that could endanger Alpha. Unless another Dorcon ship comes for me." Just the thought sent a cold chill through Tony.

"Everything happened so fast. I'm sure they didn't have time to get a message out. As far as they know you died on that ship."

"Maybe."

Tony sat up in the bed and rested his back against the wall. "Maya, I know all about your family. Where you lived, the places where you grew up. Through your stories I have seen Psychon, the good and the bad. Why did you never tell me about these Dorcons?"

The subject was something Maya had hoped she would never have to tell her Alphan friends. Something so horrid that she never wanted it to be a part of her life with Tony. She sat up also and in the dim glow looked at Tony. "I thought they would never find me here, that was foolish. I did not tell you because it was something that every Psychon knew about but never talked about. Are there not things in Earth's history that you would rather not talk about?"

Tony could not think of anything that he had not told her about himself or his family. But there was a dark time in his country's past when the world was at war and their leaders had chosen the wrong side. Most Italians were ashamed of that part of their history and did not discuss it. He slowly nodded his head and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like you were hiding something from me. You are right, there are just some things we do not talk about." He got up and went into the bathroom for some water and brought a glass out for Maya.

"Thank you."

"How did they find you? We are a thousand light years from Psychon space and we've been through a spacewarp."

"Tony, Dorcons have spies everywhere and they use rifts in space to travel."

"Do you think Sahala might have turned you in?"

"No, it was not Sahala. She was grateful for my help and told me that I had restored her faith in the universe. When she returned home, I'm sure she told her people about our encounter. It could have been anyone in the Croton system."

"Do you think they got to Dorzak?" Tony asked.

"Oh Tony I hope not, but they did call me..." Maya paused, not wanting to believe her next words, "the last living Psychon."

Now Tony regretted asking her about Dorzak. "Maybe Sahala hid him away some place where even the Dorcons could not find him." Maya squeezed Tony's hand. She knew he was trying to make her feel not so alone in the universe, even if Dorzak was a madman.

"With all the people that left Psychon there has to be someone that survived somewhere," Tony said. "And I cannot believe that Dorcons can be everywhere in the universe."

"But I will never know."

"Maya, it is inconceivable how we have survived this long in space. The other Psychons have survived also. They are out there somewhere."

She squeezed his hand again and leaned over to kiss him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said returning her kiss.

This made Maya feel a little better. Tony always knew the right things to say. Although "I love you" had never been a big part of his vocabulary, it was the little things like this that made the difference. She took a drink of her water and grew silent, although her mind was anything but. Staring into the darkness, she had her first opportunity to think about what had happened. About what she had almost lost and what had been done to Alpha. Tony reached over and put his arm around her. She moved over and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Tony, I'm sorry."

"Sorry, for what?"

"For everything that happened. People hurt, friends killed. Everything that you went through."

Tony shifted, reached over and turned on the small bedside lamp. "Maya, look at me," he said as he took her shoulders into both his hands. "You are not to blame for any of this. Those murdering Dorcons did this. They made the decision to come after you and they failed. John Koenig would do the same thing for anyone else on this base."

"I know Tony, but I cannot help but think if I was not here none of this would have happened."

"Without you here none of us would still be here. You have saved this base more than once. And God only knows how I would be without you here. Maya I love you. You have saved me too, in more ways than one."

"Oh, Tony, I love you too," she said as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Hey, I thought I love you was supposed to make you happy?"

"It makes me the happiest woman in the universe, but that's not why I am crying," she said between sobs. "When they took me, I thought you were dead. I was going to die on that ship today knowing that I was the cause of your death. And the Commander too, he was shot just after he appeared. That knowledge took everything out of me Tony. Knowing that you were dead, I lost my will to live. I did not even struggle." Tony wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace and whispered calming words in her ear.

Here, wrapped in Tony's arms, alone in her quarters, she just let go. Tears streamed down her face. It killed him inside to see her like this, but he knew that it was a release of everything that had happened and when she was through she could began to heal. Then he too felt himself let go. The tears that began in Command Center came to him again. He did not try to stop them this time. Unlike everyone else he had nothing to hide from her, not even his vulnerability. As they clung to each other all the fear and pain came pouring out of them. When Maya ran out of tears, Tony brought her up to face him.

"Feel better?"

"Yes I do. You?"

"Yeah," he said as he dried her face with his fingers. "Let's get some sleep." He placed a gentle kiss on her lips and slid down under the covers on his back. He turned off the light and checked the alarm, turning it off. Helena had ordered medical leave for both of them. When Maya protested, Victor and David informed her that they would take her duties. Alan and Petrov had already conspired against Tony. Then Bob Mathias declared both his Commander and his CMO unfit for duty. Alan took over the Command spot with Bill Fraser as his second. They were told the only way to get back on duty was to take time off for each other. Tony smiled, knowing Alan probably had one of his own guards posted outside the door to make sure they did not leave. Maya joined him, laying on her side, resting her head on his shoulder and arm draped across his chest.

As he drifted off to sleep, his mind clear and exhalation taking over, he was looking forward to his much needed "forced" time off with Maya. When she knew he was finally asleep she allowed herself to return to her slumber. Safe in Tony's arms, she knew whatever happened they would face it together.


Copyright (c) 2001. Reprinted with permission.
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