QUANTUM LEAP: THANAGARIAN INVASION by BILLA1

Copyright 2005

Disclaimer: The Characters Batman, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Superman & Flash and their respective secret identities are all owned by DC Comics. Quantum Leap and its characters were created by Bellisario Productions and are owned by Universal Studios. This story is based on the Justice League Animated Series episode: StarCrossed Part 3 written by Rich Fogel & Dwayne McDuffie. This story is intended for my own pleasure and is not for profit. It has been posted to this site for others to read. (PG-13). Originally posted September 2004.

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Quantum Leap: Thanagarian Invasion

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Prologue -

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The brilliant blue light flashed and crackled around Doctor Sam Beckett as it always did when he was completing a leap. The disorientation usually lasted from a few seconds to a few minutes. Fortunately, this time, it looked like the haze of the leap would only last a few moments. Sam found himself standing in a room which looked to be a small apartment. In front of him, four figures were setting items down in the room.

"Lieutenant, will there be anything else?"

"Anything else?" Sam repeated. The man, if that's what it was, standing in front of him was wearing a mask - no - a helmet that covered part of his face and armor - yes armor, blue and gold. And wings - they all had wings.

"Yes, Lieutenant, have we gotten all of your things?"

"Uh...yes, I think I got everything." Sam then quickly added, "We can go back can't we if I forgot something?"

"Yes, Lieutenant, we can...er... if we need to," the man answered as if he was clearly frustrated with Sam.

"Good," Sam thought to himself. He had made so many leaps that he tried to develop a pattern of actions to help him survive until he linked up with Al. But it's hard to know what to do sometimes when your mind is like Swiss cheese and it always was right after a leap. Part of his pattern was to make sure he gave vague answers to questions and left himself some wiggle room, in case he had to undo some action he did inadvertently immediately after he leaped into his new host.

"Must find a mirror," Sam thought. He had to find out who he was, what he looked like and what he was here to do. So far, all he knew was that he was a Lieutenant and probably in some military unit where the soldiers wore ceremonial wings.

"Excuse me," Sam said to the winged men in front of him as he turned and walked toward the rear of the apartment. He figured that it didn't matter whether he found the bedroom or the bathroom first. One of the two places would have a mirror. He found the bedroom first.

The room was modest in quality and quantity of furniture. Beside a bed and dresser, there was a free-standing full-length mirror in the corner. There were no pictures or decorations on the walls anywhere in the apartment.

Sam quickly made his way to the full-length mirror. In the mirror, he saw staring back at him, a female wearing a helmet and dressed in the same armor as the men in the other room. Underneath the helmet flowed brilliant red hair which draped past his shoulders. He was a woman with wings; wings almost as long as he was tall. He had leaped into women before, but he was unable to retain any memory of previous leaps, so as every leap is, this would be a new experience for him. As he turned to leave, the wings on his back spread fully as if they had a life of their own.

"Oh, boy..." Sam said.

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Part One

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He was tired of leaping. The experiment had gone horribly wrong years ago and perhaps some divine force was now controlling his leaps, but Sam knew that neither he nor anyone at the Quantum Leap Project Laboratories knew when or where Sam would leap next. Each leap erased most of the memory of the previous leaps making the only constant in his world, his friend Al.

All Sam wanted to do was to go home. Home to a wife and life he didn't remember he had. All he had was the instinct - just the urge to go home. And he hoped that the next leap would be the last leap - the leap that would take him home. But sadly, once again, Sam knew this leap was not the leap home.

"Lieutenant," the soldier in the other room called out.

"I'll be right there," Sam replied, quickly looking around the room for some indication of who he was. Seeing nothing immediately, Sam joined the soldiers in the other room.

"Lieutenant," the soldier said, "we will leave if there is nothing else. I was instructed to remind you that the commander wishes to see you."

"Ah...okay. Tell the commander I will be right there." Sam said as he continued to look around the room.

The soldier gave Sam a quizzical look and then replied timidly, "As you wish, Lieutenant."

As the soldiers left the quarters, Sam heard the familiar "whoosh" of the imaging door opening. "Finally," he thought. From behind Sam came the familiar voice of Al.

"Hi, Sam. The girl or rather the female in the waiting room is not cooperating at all. And you'll never guess what - she's not human. It will be a few more minutes before Ziggy figures out why you're here."

Sam went back to the bedroom to look at himself in the mirror. He removed the helmet and was relieved to discover that the face under the helmet was not unattractive. That meant that the helmet was part of the uniform and not an indicator of the person's appearance. He put the helmet back on.

The wings on his back seem to move independently of his thoughts. He tried to relax and after some moments the wings finally returned to a rest position. At least they weren't flapping around.

"Fine, Al. I'm supposed to see some commander. Where do I find him?"

"Be back in a minute, Sam," Al said as he disappeared with a "bleep."

Sam noticed the mace clipped to his right hip. He unclipped it and held it timidly in his hand. He heard the weapon buzz to life and he touched the round end of the mace with his other hand. The shock he received was sufficient to cause him to cry out and drop the weapon.

"Damn, Al. Hurry up before I kill myself with this damn thing," he exclaimed.

He picked up the weapon and placed it in the corner near the mirror. He wasn't sure he had turned it off. In fact, he wasn't sure how he had turned it on. The one thing he was sure of was that this primitive looking weapon wasn't primitive at all. It was a technology he had not seen before. He heard a "bleep" and Al reappeared.

"Sam, I found a room marked Commander Talek, three decks up. You know that all of these people got wings? You're on a space ship orbiting the Earth. You know that all these people wear helmets? Uh oh, - Ziggy got something. Your name is Shayera Hol. You're a military officer."

Sam pursed his lips together, sat on the bed and rubbed his still stinging hand. "I got that part when they called me Lieutenant."

Al continued to check his hand-link.

"Look Sam, Ziggy is working as fast as she can. Apparently, Shayera Hol was sent here five years ago as a spy. Yeah, you're spying on Earth defensives and you're from a planet called...called Thanagar that orbits around the star Polaris."

"That over 800 light years away from Earth," Sam exclaimed. "What the date?"

"May 29, 2004. Ziggy says you're engaged to this commander. Uh oh. Sam, this may not be a professional in-brief you about to have, if you catch my drift."

Sam continued practicing moving his wings voluntarily, but they seem to continue to move as if they had a life and will of their own. "Al, why am I here? To break the engagement? To get married? What?" Sam was frustrated by the wings that moved on their own.

"Hold on. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Okay. Ziggy says you're here to save someone named John Stewart."

"John Stewart? Where is he? Save him from what?"

"Sam, I don't think this is good...no...this isn't good at all. Your fiancé is going to have him killed tomorrow at noon. Seems old John was dipping in your...Shayera Hol's inkwell, if you catch my drift, and your fiancé is very unhappy about it. Wait a minute.

Al pressed more buttons on his hand-link with Ziggy. Sam shook his head as he continued listening to Al and trying to gain some control the moving wings.

"Hang on to your hat," Al continued. "She's pregnant with Stewart's child. Stewart doesn't know but Hro finds out when Stewart is killed tomorrow. You're executed for treason. You try to save Stewart by pleading for his life. When that fails, you try to flee with Stewart. He is killed outside New York City. You are taken to the ship where you are...oh, Sam...this is very bad. You are mutilated, disemboweled, dismembered and your remains are burned."

Sam could hear Al sigh. "Sam, they don't like you at all. They kill you slowly for three hours before you are finally permitted to die."

Sam rolled his eyes and sighed. "Thanks for the horrific visual. I got it...oh, boy...I got it."

"Don't think about what?" How do they stop these things from flapping?

"The wings. Don't think about the wings. Concentrate on something else like...like your fingers."

Fingers? That's the dumbest thing...I ...ever...heard..." Sam stopped as the wings returned to what he assumed were their rest position.

"See I told you," Al smirked. "Think about your fingers and you won't flap yourself into a wall or out an airlock."

Sam was amazed. "How'd in the world did you know?"

"Simple Sam. Nothing ever happens when you want it to. It only happens when you don't expect it.

Wow, another Al-ism. "Al, guide me to the commander's office," Sam said as he stood up and moved to the door. Fingers. Fingers.

"Piece of cake, Sam. Out the door, turn left, take the third ladder well and up three decks."

Sam put his hand on the doorknob. "Okay, before I step out the door. Tell me how this John Stewart keeps Earth from being destroyed?"

He opened the door and stepped out into the corridor. He turned left and walked down the corridor following Al's directions all the time concentrating his fingers.

"Apparently, it's not just him, Sam. He's got five other super friends with him. Wow, this is impressive. He's got the Flash, the Martian Manhunter, Superman, Batman and a real looker named Wonder Woman. Whoa - wonder how that costume of hers keeps her -"

"Al!" Sam interrupted. "Stay with me here. Where are these super friends now?"

Al grimaced. "Sam, I was going to say warm...keep her warm. Anyway, they're on a prison transport ship on Earth. The ship leaves this evening and Stewart is tortured and killed tomorrow at noon."

"So I have to get them off that ship."

"Nope, Ziggy says if you get them fed, they'll escape and Stewart won't die tomorrow and neither will you."

"Well, that seems easy. I'll order them fed. Then hopefully I'll leap."

"Not so easy, Sam. The commander ordered no food or drink."

"Oh boy. It's always something!"

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PART TWO

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Sam stood outside the commander's door and knocked.  Suddenly, Al turned around and hurriedly said, "Sam, I'll be right back."

Sam heard the imaging door open and close about the same time he heard someone on the other side of the door call out, "Enter." He sighed and slowly opened the door and gazed upon a giant of a winged man standing behind a large desk. Sam entered slowly as the large winged man rapidly approached from behind the desk. Sam stopped in front of the man and said, "You wanted to see me commander?"

As soon as he said the word commander he immediately regretted it. Surely, she didn't call her fiancé "commander."

The commander grabbed Sam by the shoulders and smiled broadly at him.

"Ah...my Shayera. Are you all moved in?"

"Uh...yes, commander," Sam said knowing there would be a problem if he couldn't call his "fiancé " by his first name. Where the hell is Al with this man's name? Fingers. Fingers.

"Sam, his name is Hro Talek," Al said almost on cue simultaneously with the whoosh of the imaging room door opening.

Sam gazed at Talek, smiled and quickly added, "Hro." Sam then noticed that Al's yellow coat had been ripped.

"Had to go," Al said apparently noticing Sam's stare. "It seems the woman in the waiting room attacked the doctor. Feisty young thing. Finally had to sedate her."

Talek pulled Sam close to him and removed his helmet. He then kissed Sam passionately. Sam had leaped into women before, but seeing Hro kiss Sam appeared to be more than Al could bear to watch.

"Awww, Sam" Al muttered as he turned his head and waited for the kiss the end.

"Shayera, you seem so distant. What's wrong?" Hro asked seemingly puzzled by Sam's "resistance" to his embrace. Al turned back around and faced Sam.

"I was thinking about the super friends," Sam answered. Fingers. Fingers.

"Sam, they're called the Justice League."

"I meant the Justice League," Sam quickly added.

"Do not worry about the Justice League," Hro replied. "Why don't you accompany me to the planet surface?"

Sam smiled weakly at Hro and said, "I'm ready when you are."

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The ride to the planet surface was a rapid but quiet one. Secretly, Sam was thrilled about the prospect of space travel, something he had never gotten to do before signing on to the Quantum Leap Project. He stared out the window the entire trip. Hro, who was piloting the space craft, occasionally glanced over at Sam, sitting in the co-pilot's chair, but didn't say anything.

When they landed, one of Hro's aides met him at the landing site and had him stand in front of a holo-projector.

Upon a cue from his aide, Hro started talking in front of the holo-projector. The projector projected a hologram of Hro Talek to the Earth delegates aboard the command ship.

Sam stood next to Hro, but was busy listening to Al rattle on about the difficulty of getting information from the female in the waiting room. Sam perked up when he heard the Hro say into the projector, "Your militaries are useless. Your Justice League is defeated..."

"Sam, you got to get them fed," Al reminded him.

At that moment Hro turned to Sam and asked, "You lived among them. Do you think they'll cooperate?"

"Sam, tell him you don't know," Al shouted.

Sam knew that he or rather Shayera Hol was supposed to be the expert on Earth people. Sam figured that any answer that started with "I don't know" probably was not going to be well received.

"I think they got the message," Sam said. "But what about the Justice League? What are you going to do with them?"

Hro smiled and said, "For our special guest, I have made some very special arrangements?"

Sam looked into Hro's face and tried to smile, but it came across more as a grimace, "They are Earth's heroes, but I heard that you ordered no food and water for them. Don't we treat our prisoner better than that?"

Hro looked at Sam with a look that made Sam's blood run cold. Then Hro smiled.

"Shayera, they are not prisoners. We have to restrain them while we complete the shield. But for you, I will have them fed this evening. Now you and I should get to know each other again."

Sam smiled at Hro knowing exactly what Hro meant by "getting to know each other again."

"Oh, Hro," Sam said. "I have a headache now but maybe tonight, okay? May I see the prisoners now?"

Hro shot back angrily, "Any particular one?"

"No, my love," Sam said softly. "A farewell visit to all of them." There was no need to make Hro any angrier than he already was Sam figured. Besides, he hoped that he wouldn't be the one Hro would be spending the night with anyway. But if Hro was going to feed the Justice League, why hadn't he leaped? Clearly, something was still wrong.

"Kragger will escort you to the Justice League. I have other issues that need my attention," Hro said. His tone was flat and emotionless.

He turned his back and walked away from Sam. He suddenly stopped and turned to Sam and said softly, "I hope to see you later tonight."

With that Hro turned and walked away.

As Sam watched Hro walk away, Al spoke.

"Sam, Ziggy says be careful with Kragger. Don't trust him. He views you...Shayera Hol as a threat."

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During the trip to the prison ship, Sam and Kragger did not say much to each other. Sam wasn't sure whether it was professional courtesy or contempt that Kragger was demonstrating as he escorted Sam to the holding cell area of the ship.

Sam sensed that Shayera Hol had military seniority, either real or implied, as Kragger always allowed Sam to lead.

As Sam walked down the long hallway of the prison ship accompanied by Kragger, he was inwardly impressed and amazed by the size of the ship. The corridor was large and spacious containing multiple prison cells.

The first prison cell Sam walked past was bathed in red light. Inside the cell, Superman was restrained by chains on his wrist. When he saw Sam walk by, he yelled "Traitor" as he tried to get to Sam; but the chains and perhaps the red light held him back.

Al said in Sam's ear, "The red light simulates red sunlight and Superman is powerless under a red sun."

Kragger walked ahead of Sam. "Look at them," Kragger sneered as Sam caught up to the rapidly walking Kragger.

"Weak. Useless. Broken. It would have been difficult to storm their Watchtower without the access codes you provided. Also, your analysis of their weakness was most helpful."

Sam cringed at Kragger's statement of fact. Sam felt that this announcement of betrayal, loudly proclaimed, was made more for the prisoners' benefit than actual congratulations on a job well done.

Kragger stopped in front of one of the prison cells containing a man in a green and black costume shackled with his hands covered. Al was literally screaming in Sam's ear.

"That's him. That's John Stewart."

Sam turned to look at the man seated on the floor. The man would not look Sam in the face but rather looked down at the ground in front of him. Sam could sense that Kragger was watching his reaction to Stewart.

"That one," Kragger continued pointing to Stewart, "will be the least trouble of all. He is nothing without his toy."

Kragger held up a green ring but Sam continued to look at the dejected and sad man sitting on the floor.

Sam did not know what defenses Kragger had relative to the Justice League, but he did not see the acceptance of defeat in their faces. He saw defiance and fight in their eyes, even in the face of the sad man in front of him.

Sam turned to Kragger. "Don't underestimate them," he said.

Kragger smiled and said slowly, "You are right. Perhaps we should make sure they are not a threat."

Kragger pulled a firearm from his side.

"Better still, perhaps you should," he said as he handed Sam the weapon.

As Sam took the weapon from Kragger, Al hollered, "Sam, Ziggy says there is an 85% chance that this is a test and a 75% chance that the weapon is not loaded."

Al paused and then added slowly, "Ah, Sam - there is a 54% chance that your fiancé ordered this test."

Sam looked at Kragger. "The point of this occupation is to keep the peace while we finish our mission. If we kill the Earth's heroes, the natives will revolt."

Handing the weapon back to Kragger, Sam added, "Our best plan is to build the shield, then go."

Sam decided at this point he would pull rank and walk away from Kragger. As Sam walked away, he said, "Make sure they are well taken care of."

As he walked out of Kragger's hearing range, Sam whispered, "Al, do they escape?"

"Good news, Sam. Ziggy says they will escape this evening."

"Okay, that's fine, but how come I haven't leaped?"

"I dunno. Gooshie is running a diagnostic on Ziggy now to make sure we got it right."

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Standing on a landing on the partially completed shield generator, Sam watched as the prison transport ship containing the Justice League lifted off. Sam knew Kragger had been watching him and probably already reported back to Hro that he had not taken the opportunity to dispose of the Justice League.

"Shayera," Hro called. It took Sam a few moments to figure out that Hro was talking to him.

Sam turned around to see Hro and Kragger approaching. "Yes, commander?" Sam answered.

"We are ready to depart."

Sam smiled at Hro and followed the commander and Kragger to the shuttle craft. Kragger sat in the pilot's chair as Hro sat next to Sam in the back of the craft. Hro reached across and held Sam's hand as the craft took off. Sam continued to look out the window but didn't move his hand. Al re-appeared to Sam.

"Sam, Ziggy is running fine. Maybe you don't leap until they actually escape."

Sam looked at Hro, smiled and withdrew his hand. Hro looked sad for a moment and then went to the front of the aircraft to join Kragger in the cockpit.

When the shuttle craft landed on the mother ship, Sam, Hro and Kragger exited the shuttle craft together. They were greeted by an aide who told them that the Justice League had escaped. Sam secretly smiled to himself. At least, Ziggy had been right about them escaping if they were fed. They must be a pretty resourceful team, Sam thought as the aide relayed the report on how the escape occurred.

Sam heard someone say, "How could this have happened?"

Sam answered with a small amount of pride in his voice, "Because they're the Justice League, that how."

Al reviewed the new information in his hand-link.

"Sam, you did it. The Justice League will turn back the invasion. Sad to say, Shayera Hol loses the baby when she battles Hro to save Stewart. Seems afterwards, she and Stewart separate for a while and then get back to together - big time. Hey get this - she eventually changes her name to Hawkwoman. I wonder if that's the same Hawkwoman that..."

Al looked up from his hand-link to see the image of Hro and Kragger slowly dissolved into the bare blue walls of the imaging chamber. At that moment, Al knew that Sam had leaped again.

END