Ancient Hunter

I stepped out of the washroom and into Xenai’s ready room. Clad in a towel my sword in one hand and my other holding the towel wrapped around my body. I wasn’t alone. In the room with me were two Valkyrie in full combat armour, their weapons strapped to their chests. I had an inkling of who they were.

“Greetings Frialmold and Rodrifa,” I said to the two Valkyrie.

“Mother Gwen,” Frialmold said to me.

I was a bit relieved by that. I’d have looked stupid if they hadn’t been. I could see Rodrifa had been issued with the explosive rounds. Frialmold had standard rounds in the magazine of her Coil Assault Gun. I leaned my sword against the wall next to the door of the washroom. “Did Captain Xenai find me something to wear?” I asked them.

“Yes Mother Gwen,” Rodrifa told me and pointed to the desk.

I still wasn’t sure I should have that title. I maybe the last of the Landottir but the Elders hadn’t ratified my title. Even if everyone else seemed to think I was entitled to it. I crossed the floor to the desk and looked at the uniform I had been given. It was in Alliance dark blue and consisted of a jacket and pants. There was no shoes or underwear.

I glanced across at the two Valkyrie. “I’ll be back in a moment.” I hurried back into the washroom and grabbed my socks and boots. The boots were still smeared with ichor. I cleaned them off the best I could. I was glad my socks were dry although smelling of my feet they were clean of ichor.

Back in Xenai’s ready room I changed into the uniform. My biggest regret was that I had no underwear. I wasn’t worried about Frialmold and Rodrifa’s presence. They did this all the time on Alfheimir. They often trained butt naked in all weathers. I knew that to be true I’d had to do the same. The only issue was that they didn’t do it in front of any men. I was told that those who had joined the Confederacy military had their own showers. I knew that male and female soldiers showered and bunked together. The Valkyrie were the only sticking point. I did wonder how they managed sex. They must do it otherwise there wouldn’t be a next generation of Valkyrie. I did know that they didn’t use artificial insemination. I put that thought aside to concentrate on the here and now.

“Let’s go,” I said to my escort. I was conscious about my lack of underwear and the fact I had wet boots. Picking up my sword I wasn’t about to leave that hanging around I left Xenai’s ready room.

Xenai was waiting for me as I entered the bridge.

“That’s better,” she said to me.

I saluted it seemed the appropriate thing to do since she had called me Lieutenant Hunter earlier. “Reporting for duty?” I said.

Xenai nodded briefly. “Good your assignment is do a sweep of the ship. Do not engage the enemy unless it is truly necessary. Fall back and let your Marine squad deal with it.”

I understood what Xenai was saying glad that I wasn’t doing this on my own.

Xenai gestured to a female T’Arni in a red rescue coveralls a heavy pack on her back. She wore her long dark hair in a bun and on the shoulder of her coveralls was a red blood drop. “This is Senior Carer Persefoni. She’s a fully qualified Medtech but not combat trained.”

A warning that I’d have to keep her safe, I could do that.

“She will accompany you and render aid to those that need it,” Xenai told me.

“Yes ma’am.” I’d rather have Kelli at my side she was the nearest thing to a sister I had. I trusted her implicitly. I worried about Kelli I hadn’t seen her at all and I did worry about her safety.

Hollen was waiting for me outside the bridge. I introduced Persefoni and told Hollen that she’d be accompanying us. Hollen took it all in her stride.

“I take it that you’re with me on this?” I asked. A much as I didn’t want to play favourites I’d chose a Valkyrie squad over any other, except my team. I fully trusted Jervic, Kelli and Denassi.

“To the end Mother Gwen!” Hollen replied.

“You’re her mother?” Persefoni said to me shocked.

She’d got the wrong end of the stick.

“It’s a Valkyrie thing,” I told her. Although I did wonder if she’d call the Valkyrie, Enari which was their name before the Earth explorer ship ‘Marco’ had encountered them. They had taken the name and made it their own.

“Sorry ma’am,” Persefoni replied.

“Don’t be so formal called me Gwen. That goes for the rest of you.”

“And I’m Freyhilda,” Hollen said.

My face flushed red I’d been calling Freyhilda by her Clan name.

“You know Frialmold and Rodrifa. This is Hlomadra, Vahildr and Skugrdrifa.” Freyhilda introduced the rest of her squad.

“Glad to meet you all,” I stated then turned serious. “Our mission are to search the ship for the enemy and any survivors.”

We spent the next few hours searching the ship. Rendering aid to those in need. From the looks on some of the faces they’ll need counselling as well. Foot sore and weary we returned to the bridge. Xenai was still there but to my eyes she looked worse than I felt. My nanobots might be able to repair damage to my body but they couldn’t do anything for the bone numbing fatigue I was feeling. I was tired I couldn’t remember when I last rested. I think that was when I was still on Demeros. It was hard to tell the time on this ship. Even looking at my comms wouldn’t help it wasn’t set to ship time. I hadn’t changed it since I was on Saros all those days/weeks ago. I stepped closer to Xenai seeing an agonised expression on her face. Suddenly she swayed.

“Xenai!” I cried out.

Lieutenant Thorda was with her. She caught Xenai before she hit the floor.

“Gwen!” Xenai gasped out the words seeming to be in agony. “Chair… compartment…hypo!”

I scrambled to her chair quickly finding a compartment in her chair’s armrest. Pulling it open I grabbed the hypospray. “Here!” I called out to Thorda and threw her the hypo.

She caught it in mid air and jabbed it into Xenai’s neck.

“What was that and is Xenai going to be ok?” Xenai was another I considered almost a sister.

“One question at a time Gwen,” Thorda replied. “That is Psychodrine a telepathy suppressant.”

I was surprised that something like that existed.

Thorda continued. “With all the pain and suffering around her it was bound to effect her abilities. Which is why we don’t have tepes on the front line. A sensory overload will send them mad.”

I was even more worried now.

Thorda gestured to Freyhilda. Sergeant Hollen please pick up the captain?”

Freyhilda did so it looked as if she was holding a child. I was starting to feel the edge of panic since Xenai wasn’t moving. I could see the rise and fall of her chest and other than that she lay limp in Freyhilda’s arms.

“Follow me,” Thorda ordered.

I thought we’d be taking Xenai to a Medbay instead Thorda took her to her ready room. She strode through the room to a wall on the side and pressed an innocuous button on it. Instantly the wall recessed and a bed slid out or rather a narrow cot. I’d have trouble sleeping in it, as it was too narrow and too short for my frame.

“Place the captain on the bed,” Thorda said to Freyhilda.

Freyhilda laid Xenai gently on the bed. I’d forgotten how careful a Valkyrie could be, most saw them as hulking violent women. They had a caring side Walla had taught me that when she sheltered me from the rebels. Then there was Hlanhildr who showed no compassion in mutilating a prisoner in order to get him to talk. Most of the terrifying reputation the Valkyrie had was through rumours they themselves had spread.

Thorda laid a hand of Xenai’s head. “She’ll be out of commission for a couple of hours that hypo also contained a sedative. I’ll get a Medtech to look in on her.” She looked at Freyhilda. “Thank you sergeant.”

“And my duty ma’am?” I asked Thorda.

She smiled at me. “Pass your report on to the XO, unfortunately that will be Lieutenant Gant.” She stared at me her face more serious. “After that take a few hours rest yourself.”

“Where? One of those creatures trashed my quarters?”

“Bunk down with Sergeant Hollen’s squad.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Best you grab what you can from your quarters. I’m afraid you might be there a while since there are higher repair priorities.”

I left the ready room with Freyhilda close on my heels. Frialmold and Rodrifa joined us. With my escort I entered the bridge seeking Lieutenant Gant. We’d never got on he’d publicly stated several times that he didn’t like me. He was one of guys that had a stick up his ass about rules. It wasn’t that I didn’t follow rules it was because I wasn’t navy. Xenai had only made me a Lieutenant to get the Valkyrie off my back. Look how well that had worked.

Lieutenant Gant was seated in Xenai’s chair on the bridge watching the main viewer.

“Lieutenant Gant?” I said with a salute.

Gant turned to regard me. “Hunter, Captain Xenai told me she had brought you on board.”

I didn’t like the tone of his voice. I had to make a report and I was going to do so. “Be as it may Captain Xenai ordered me to do a sweep of the ship and report to the officer in charge.” That had been Xenai before her collapse.

Gant clicked fingers at Freyhilda who with Frialmold and Rodrifa had followed me in. I stiffened immediately that was the wrong thing to do to a Valkyrie.

“Place Hunter in the brig until she can be shipped back to the Terran Empire as of standing order 9873.”

“Admiral Komana rescinded that order, Captain Xenai told me that.” I protested.

“That’s news to me. Until I get confirmation of that order place Hunter in the brig.”

I had thought Gant as a stickler for the rules but this seemed a little too personal.

Gant pointed to Freyhilda. “You there are you deaf? I told you to take Hunter to the brig!”

“I don’t take orders from insignificant males!” Freyhilda snarled. I saw her hand rest on the butt of her Coil Assault Gun.

I went cold she had a red banded magazine in her weapon. Those explosive rounds were an instant kill against an unarmoured target. Things rested on the edge of a knife. I’d rather spend time in the brig than see Freyhilda court marshalled for murder.

“You,” Gant barked his eyes on Frialmold and Rodrifa. “Throw those two in the brig that’s an order!” he straightened out of the chair his finger pointed at me.

I noticed a rapidly expanding circle around Gant. The bridge crew knew danger when they saw it.

“You mean us?” Rodrifa said laconically.

Gant went an interesting shade of red. He spluttered, “You have your orders carry them out…” Suddenly he pitched forward shock plastered over his face.

Lieutenant Thorda stood behind him. This could go south very quickly.