SWNOVELS Chapter 11
“Report LT?”
“I’m going to send Beta ahead,” he said pointing the end of the jungle a patch of light in the dimness ahead. “I don’t like it, it’s too quiet.”
“You feeling it too LT?”
“I thought that it was just me.”
“Beta take point,” I signalled to Shawna and Kriaeusus to take it slow and silent they seemed to get the hand signal I flashed them. I promised myself when we got back to the Havok to learn the Marine version of GF hand signs.
They moved on out as I moved back to the MREV.
“Major Locke?” Gena spoke quietly I could hear the fear in her voice.
“Get your squad off the MREV Sergeant Guerro and take cover behind.”
“Yes sir,” she scrambled down the side of the MREV the other Terrans following her. I wasn’t going to point out her error she was nervous enough.
I rapped on the hatch it opened and Joyce peered out. For a moment I was back on Anoxi my hand trembled at the image that burned through my mind. The last time a hatch opened on a MREV at my knock I threw in a grenade and slammed the hatch shut.
“Are you ok Sandra?” Joyce asked sounding concerned.
“Yes,” I replied gritting my teeth trying hard to forget those memories I guess Anoxi was still haunting me, “stay inside.”
“Expecting trouble?”
“I truly don’t know. Best to be safe rather than sorry.”
“Ok Sandra,” she closed the hatch and I let out a long breath.
“Orders Major Locke,” Gena asked there was an edge to her voice.
I turned to Gena. “Any shooting you and your squad goes prone behind the MREV it will provide you with enough cover. Do not try for the sides of the causeway you’ll slip into the muck at the bottom,” I told her sounding more authoritative than the expression my face betrayed. These youngsters were depending on me I couldn’t let them down.
“Dangerous?” Gena asked looking over the edge of the causeway to the grey-green water below.
“Toxic but not enough to kill, just make you ill.”
“Heard and understood Major Locke.”
“You will be ok,” I said in general nodding to the Terrans cowering behind Gena. I didn’t feel it myself but I wasn’t about to let them see that.
Returning to Tutor I saw that he was watching Shawna and Kriaeusus who had reached the edge of the jungle.
“All clear major,” Shawna’s voice came over my comms unit.
I pressed the button and answered. “Hold position.” Then to Tutor.” Move out LT I’ll be with the Terrans.”
“Major Locke,” Gena said the tremble had gone from her voice when I reached her.
“We’re moving out, stay behind the MREV.”
Slowly the MREV inched forward I followed leading the Terrans.
Stepping out into the sun I blinked. “Lottie?” I spoke softly wondering if she would be able to pick that up.
“Yes Sandra?”
“Heard anything from the Havok or the Terran ship?”
“Nothing but the Comms Relay did register a ship leaving, I can’t tell if it was the Havok or the Terran Empire ship? Although I doubt that Marsha will leave you behind. ”
“You can do that track a ship?” I wasn’t sure about Marsha after I had turned her down. She was Valkyrie and they could be touchy at the best of times.
“No, all I can do is monitor the relays my programming isn’t that sophisticated.”
I had serious doubts that was true. I broke communication with Lottie focusing on the task in hand. I could see Shawna and Kriaeusus at the top of the slope they were gesturing for us that it was safe. We made our way up the slope the Terrans stumbling behind clearly exhausted. As I breached the crest I halted and surveyed the scene in front of me breathing a sigh of relief on seeing the base camp was still intact. The same couldn’t have been said of the shuttle its once clean lines marred by crumbled and twisted metal. There was no way it was ever lifting off again.
I called Gena to me. “Sergeant Guerro can you tell me what happened here?”
She saluted smartly Terran style I wasn’t going to correct her on that I needed her co-operation. “Captain Phillips destroyed the shuttle once he was convinced that…” She looked back to MREV. “…Lady Broaden was not here. I think he was worried he might miss them somehow.”
“Must have listened to the same logs we did?” Tutor stated his eye on the base camp.
“So why didn’t they follow us. They must have had the same intel about the city as we did?”
“Who knows what that Terran bastard was up to.”
I asked the same question to Gena. “Sergeant Guerro?”
“I don’t what was on his mind he wasn’t telling us anything just enjoyed ordering us around and after what we heard I’m glad I didn’t.” She shuddered at those last words.
“LT check the camp. And Sergeant Guerro return to your friends.”
“Ma’am,” a scared sounding voice queried.
I turned to see another of Gena’s squad standing there.
“Peter Merrick,” Lottie promoted me.
“Yes Peter,” he seemed startled that I remembered his name.
“Ma’am, what will happen to us now?”
Now that we had reached the base the Terrans were clearly thinking about the future. I saw Gena angrily wave Peter back. “Let him speak sergeant,” I told her, “Joyce Neilson will take care of you.”
“Were not prisoners?” Peter sounded relieved.
“If you’re not in uniform then you’re not my responsibility.” That got the others talking excitedly. I would be glad to hand them over to Joyce yet I had my doubts.
Joyce Neilson’s voice cut through the chatter sounding business like. “The sooner we get this gear inside the sooner we can clean up and eat,” she looked at me, “better this way for all of us don’t you think?”
“I suppose it is.”
“I know it is,” she gestured to Gena. “Gena get them moving please.”
Gena and the Terrans began gathering the equipment from the MREV. I saw Sarah climb out the back her attention on her patient. She looked up as I neared.
“She’s stable major.”
“Once we get her on the Havok, Doc Brown can take over.”
“Yes major. Hey careful!” She shouted in Galactic at the two Terrans handing the stretcher they looked at her blankly.
“Be careful!” I barked at the Terrans in their own language. “Get that stretcher inside. Sergeant Guerro!”
“Major Locke!” Gena saluted smartly.
“Get everything indoors as quickly as you can.”
“Come on you lot, you heard our major.”
I sincerely doubted that I was their major but on seeing their exhausted faces I held my tongue.
“Sandra?” Joyce called me over to where she stood with Elspeth.
“Joyce?” If she was going to be informal then I could be informal to.
“Ellie’s ready to leave when you are.”
“I haven’t been able to contact my ship yet,” I said just as a familiar voice crackled over my comms unit. I pressed the button to turn it on.
“Havok to shore party, Havok to shore party, come in shore party.”
I hesitated a second before speaking. “Shore party?”
“Sit Rep major,” I was glad to hear Marsha’s voice she hadn’t deserted me and felt guilty about thinking that.
“Package secured,” I glanced to Elspeth she grimaced not liking my words I was so relieved to hear Marsha that I wasn’t overly concerned by it. “Need medievac one serious casualty.”
“You ok?” Marsha asked sounding concerned.
“All square here captain.”
“Shuttle inbound ETA forty minutes.”
“Landing pad’s out of commission.”
“’K major message received.”
I switched off the comms unit. “The shuttle will be here in a half hour,” I announced.
Joyce turned to the Terrans still unloading the MREV. “Stop what you are doing and come inside we don’t have much time. Abe will give you clothes you can change into.” She must have seen me looking at her. “We’ve got some spare clothes. They can change out of their uniforms. They never should have been wearing them in the first place. This way they’ll look less like soldiers and more like the students they should have been.”
“You sure about this. We could take them off your hands?” I couldn’t fault her logic but it went against regulations nor did I want to leave the archaeologists with them. Yet I didn’t want the Terrans to suffer. I had made them my responsibility.
“And cram them into a lockup on your ship and then onto a detention centre. I think they’ve had enough trauma for a lifetime or several.”
“I can’t guarantee your safety,” I told her we had had this argument before, one I knew I wasn’t going to win. Give me a nice clean battle any day.
“You couldn’t do that before either. We’ll send a message via the relay to the supply ship to expect our additions when they pick us up.”
“Where are you headed?” I hadn’t asked the question before because I was still trying to convince Elspeth Broaden that we were on her side.
“It was Earth,” she hesitated, “with the war, I’ve got friends on Nthus we’ll head there until this blows over.”
Joyce’s statement came as a bit of a surprise Nthus was the T’Arni home world. My mother had an apartment in Ardrai one of the larger cities. The thought reminding me that I hadn’t spoke to my mother for the last couple of years. “You do realise that you could be detained because you’re Terran?”
“All that is possible,” she replied, “but you may have ended the war by then.”
“I sincerely doubt that.”
Joyce glanced to the largest building. “That may be true
but I can hope.” With that she disappeared into the building.
With my image intensifiers to my eyes I scanned the skies looking for signs of the shuttle approaching. Tutor stood beside me everyone else had retreated to the cooler environment of the main building.
Looking up I saw a black speck growing larger as it approached.
I pressed the button on my comms unit. . “LT, shuttle inbound,” I spoke again, “Shore party to shuttle?”
“Coming in loud and clear major,” I easily recognised Ross’ voice, “vectoring in for a landing, need a place to set down.”
“LT light up the LZ.”
Tutor nodded and pressed a button on a box in his hand. Four bright orange lights started to flash. The archaeologists’ emergency landing beacons proving to be a godsend.
I called to Sarah. “Bring your patient out, Shawna see if Elspeth Broaden is ready and someone get those Terrans out of sight.”
Gena and several of her companions had come out to gawk at the shuttle. I noticed she had not changed out of my skinnies. “Sergeant Guerro get your squad out of sight.”
She saluted and herded her squad into the building. Sarah hurried out Bacare and Kriaeusus carrying her patient. Shawna followed with Elspeth at her side loaded down with the archaeologist’s gear. Elspeth carried a simple wooden box cradling it for all her worth. I could hear the shuttle’s engines, as it grew larger in my sights.
Minutes later it landed in the square made by the emergency lights. A cloud of dust billowed out from the shuttle’s under jets. I waited for the dust to clear my hand on my weapon mindful of the tricks the Orsini often pulled noticing that Lieutenant Tutor had done the same. The door to the shuttle opened revealing Ross standing there a hand over his eyes trying to peer through the bright sunlight.
“Vanwasshova get your patient inside and secured. LT, Harms get our gear stowed. I’ll help Miss Broaden with hers.”
I walked across to Elspeth while the others helped Sarah get her patient secured in the shuttle. “Miss Broaden,” I nodded in her direction as I picked up her bags.
“You don’t have to formal with me Sandra and please call me Ellie,” Ellie sighed, “I am on your side even if you can’t see it.”
“I admit you do have a point about the war it’s just…” I left it hanging.
“People you care about are dying and you feel useless? Have you ever thought that it is the same for me, friends and people I’ve know all my life are dying is a senseless war,” her face flushed, “Jeanne has already paid that price.”
I saw a tear trickle down her cheek she never even bothered to wipe it away.
“I will try but I don’t hold out my hope for success,” I told her gently.
“Come!” she said abruptly, “I don’t want them to see me cry.”
I guessed she had meant the other Terrans. I stood for a moment watching her stride purposely towards the shuttle. I picked up her bags and hurried to the shuttle just in time to see Shawna strap her in the wooden box still clutched to her chest.
“Ready major?” Ross asked as I stepped onto the shuttle.
“Not just yet there’s one thing more I have to do. I’ll be five minutes,” I said my mind on Gena and her fellow Terrans.
“Want some company major?” Shawna looked up from her task.
“Get yourself settled,” I saw Sarah nod to me her eyes on her patient at her feet.
“I’ll need a few minutes to set up the IV drip and the monitor.” She remarked pulling the emergency medical pack from its holder.”
“Take the time you need,” I spoke to Ross, “careful on take off.”
“Aye major gentle as a baby.”
“You really don’t know how close to the truth you are with that,” I looked to Sarah and her patient.
His eyes flicked to the injured woman and he went pale.
“I’m surprised to see you back Sandra forgotten something?” Joyce remarked as I entered the building.
I was more surprised to see the Terrans busy cleaning and tidying Gena seemed to be directing her companions like the crude stripes in her arm had been there all her life.
“Sergeant Guerro.”
Gena saluted and I began to wonder if leaving the Terrans with the archaeologists was a good idea. “Major Locke, Professor Walters and Mr Briggs are going to show us how to clean and catalogue finds.” She sounded more like an excited schoolgirl on her first outing than a soldier. I began to see I was wrong to worry about them. Joyce and Reed would look after them.
“I’ve had so many eager pupils before,” Reed said motioning to the Terrans, “John’s resting but even he wanted to join in.”
“John, the wounded T…” I changed what I was about to say. “Boy.”
“Yes the wounded ‘boy’. Odd he doesn’t harbour a grudge in fact he was glad you shot him.”
I stared a Reed disbelieving. “He doesn’t?”
“Be very careful,” Joyce said as she glanced to Gena, “they’re making you into some sort of God. And there’s your high priestess. she’s convinced the others that you can walk on water.”
“I’m just a soldier following orders.”
“To them you are more than that.”
I gestured Gena over. “Sergeant Guerro obey Joyce and the other archaeologists as you would me.”
“Yes major.”
“At ease Sergeant Guerro. I just want to thank you for your help.”
Gena smiled. “We should be thanking you major you saved us even those that died. When the war is over can I come and find you?”
“Why?”
“Lady Broaden asked me to.”
I was taken aback by that. “Why?”
“I cannot say she has ordered me to secrecy I swore an oath to obey her, we all did.”
“Ok but I really don’t know where I’ll end up.” I really didn’t want her trailing me but nor did I want her to cause trouble for Joyce and the others.
Gena saluted her fist banging hard against her chest. “Three cheers for our major!”
I eased myself out of the building my cheeks bright, my face flustered. The sounds of their cheering still ringing in my ears. The shuttle beckoned a beacon of sanity in the madness our situation.
I climbed into the shuttle and sat next to Shawna she smiled at me as I buckled on my seat restraints. “Head out Ross.”
“On it major.”
I felt the shuttle rumble as it lifted off travelling slowly rising high into the sky glancing over I saw Ellie watching me, briefly I wondered what she has said to Gena but until I got her assurances I thought it better to keep quiet.
“Major,” Ross called out.
“Ross?”
“ETA fifteen minutes. Havok’s moved into the upper atmosphere. Doc Nathan and his crash team is waiting by the airlock and Captain Yanik wants your report ASAP.”
“I need to speak to your Captain Yanik first, Sandra. What you and your friends need, is a wash and change into something cleaner,” Ellie stated. “The sooner I speak to your captain the sooner we can end this.”
“Captain Yanik might say different.”
“We see what we’ll see.”
I didn’t really know what to expect.
“Major Locke,” Shawna was shaking my shoulder, “we’re here.”
I must have dozed off. Sarah was already unbuckling her patient. I released my restraints and shuffled out of the way as two of the crew slid the stretcher out of the shuttle. Ellie followed me out still clutching her box.
The shuttle bay seemed crowded with my squad, Doc Nathan’s crash team and Marsha. I could see her staring at me a concerned look on her face. Ellie brushed past me before I could stop her.
“I hope you have a good explanation as to why you are wearing the enemy’s armour?” Marsha said to me. I saw that she was straining to say something else.
“Long story captain. This is Miss Elspeth Broaden.”
Ellie spoke up before I could finish introducing Marsha to her. “Captain Yanik I presume. I’m surprised to see a Valkyrie in charge but it’s a change I’d welcome,” Ellie held out her hand in greeting her other still clutching the wooden box, “we need to talk and fast.”
Marsha stiffened her voice hostile. “I need to debrief my XO.”
“That can wait I need to contact Admiral Jericho immediately.”
“Admiral Jericho?” I remarked at the same time Tutor did, we both looked at each other. Admiral Jerome Jericho was Commander in Chief of Com Ops.
Marsha grimaced and sighed. “Come with me.” She nodded in my direction. “We’ll talk later major.”
I watched her leave with Ellie.
“Hey major where are we going to stow Miss Broaden’s gear?” Shawna asked.
I hadn’t considered that. “In my quarters I suppose.”
“It’s going to be tight with the both of you in there?” Shawna pointed out the flaw in my plan.
“I could bunk in with you guys.” Through the corner of my eye I saw Vorra smile. The thought of waking up in the night with Vorra standing over me a scalpel in her hand as she tried to open up my head to get to Lottie put a wet blanket over that. “On second thoughts I’ll make other arrangements.”
Shawna saw who I was looking at. “Understood major.”
“LT? Get the gear stowed then hit the showers and the mess hall. If anyone objects tell them I ordered it. ”
“Major,” Tutor said sounding concerned, “it will be ok, we’ll keep Vorra in line.”
“I’ll speak to the captain first. Harms take an inventory.”
Looking around I saw Sarah had gone I supposed she needed to brief Doc Brown on her patient’s condition. I felt sorry for the young woman Miriam and all she had to endure.
“Vanwasshova’s gone with Miriam,” Tutor responded to my unasked question. “Bacare, Kriaeusus help Harms and stow the gear, the faster we get it done the quicker we can hit the showers and grab a hot meal.”
Tutor’s words reminded me of my own ripening smell that even Shawna’s perfume was failing to mask.”
“Right hit the showers once this is done. LT the squad is yours debriefing in three hours.”
“Yes ma’am!” he saluted.
The shower felt good after the dirt and smell of Gena’s armour, mine now. The offending items stacked neatly in the corner of the communal shower room, along with a fresh set of skinnies. Later I was going to take the armour down to engineering to see if they could make a few adjustments. Despite being the same size Gena’s armour had chaffed in a few intimate spots hopefully the techs would be able to fix that. Refreshed I stepped out of the shower cubical to see Marsha standing there.
“Marsha?”
“What happened?”
“It was a mess pure and simple. I take it you heard the message we sent.”
“You took a big risk with that.”
“I didn’t have the option once I found out what was going on,” I frowned, “persuading Ellie to come aboard was harder that I thought I had to make concessions.”
“I know she told me all about them. I can’t fault her logic or your decision we couldn’t have had your Terrans on board.”
“You think I was right to leave them behind?” I noted she said my Terrans. I was too tired to argue the point.
“There was no other way.”
“I just can’t believe that they were sent all this way to be killed for the so called Emperor’s pleasure. I regret those we killed I can’t forget their faces. I don’t think I ever will. I’ve been reliving the hell on Anoxi. Sorry captain I don’t think I’m cut out to be your XO, ever since the attack I been having flashbacks.”
Marsha moved closer her hand on my bare shoulder. I was aware that I was standing naked in front of her still dripping wet from the shower. “Go speak to Ocynca it is his job. I want my XO fit for duty. And I do mean that.”
“Thank you.”
“I was so worried about you when that Terran Heavy Cruiser appeared. The Havok couldn’t have fought it and survived.”
“I was prepared to lay low and wait it out but things went sour quickly. If we hadn’t reached them in time it could have been worse. We arrived too late to stop them killing one of the archaeologists. I did order them to surrender.”
“We counted four shuttles down but only three returned was that you?”
I told her what had happened. “You heard the recording? That was the type of person we were dealing with he had no compassion and no morals.”
“Terran captain wasn’t so stupid he knew we were out there somewhere especially after he lost a shuttle to one of our decoys.”
“I guessed he was out here looking for you,” I glanced back to the shower cubical, “I need to get my armour down to engineering once it’s dried.”
“Hush now!” She put her finger to my lips. “Get yourself to the mess hall you look as if you need to get a hot meal inside you. I’ll get one of the crew to deal with that.”
“I’ve got to debrief the squad I’d take it as an honour to have you join us if you’re not busy?”
“I’ll always make time for you,” she smiled, “I’m sorry about how things turned out between us, it was a mistake. I still need you as my XO.” She took a deep breath. “And a friend if you’ll have me?”
“You are a good friend and from what I heard about the Terran Emperor we’ll need all the friends we can get.”
“Go see Ocynca and get yourself a hot meal that’s an order!”
“Yes ma’am! Debriefing in two hours.”
“Hopefully by then we’ll have a response for Com Ops.”
I watched her walk away as I gathered up my clothes, the armour would have to wait.
Ocynca still dressed in his clashing blue and green looked up as I walked into the medbay. “Major Locke you are expected. Please be seated we won’t be disturbed here.”
I sat down in the seat indicated and glanced over to Doc Brown hovering over Miriam’s bed. Sarah was sitting on the bed next to her she looked up at me then back to Miriam. “She going to be ok?”
“Sarah Vanwasshova or Miriam Daboski perhaps even both?”
“Both I guess?” I said wanting to be truthful.
“Miriam’s recovering but it will be a while before she’s up and about.”
“And Sarah?”
“Filled with guilt, she shot Miriam. I scheduled in several sessions with her. We’re not here to talk about her are we? I want to know how you are feeling?”
“I keep getting flashbacks of Anoxi. I thought was ok until I saw those dead kids.”
“Things like that can scar you,” he looked thoughtful, “your aura indicates that is only temporary.”
“Aura?” I’d forgotten that he was a Tepe.
“Each of us is surrounded by an energy field I can see yours and that hasn’t changed. I sense your emotions as well. You will weather this and come out stronger.” His eyes flicked to Sarah. “And some won’t.” His voice dropped. “I will keep a close eye on her but I suggest you not send her on any more missions until she worked her way through this.”
“What do I say to her squad mates?”
“Just say Miriam needs her close.”
“And the truth?”
“The young human thinks Sarah is her mother. I ain’t going to change that just yet I’m sure they will both be fine with my help. As to you Major Locke you are tougher than you think there are hidden depths to you. Don’t be surprised when they appear.”
“So I’ve got to endure these flashbacks?”
“Captain Yanik will keep you too busy to think about them.”
I eyed him carefully. “You know about Captain Yanik?”
“Yes, when you had gone she came and told me everything.”
“Everything?”
“No one else will know patient, psychologist confidentiality.”
“But you told me?”
“Only because it concerned you.”
“I suppose I can live with that.”
“I think that wraps up our session, one other thing before you go Major Locke.”
“That is?”
“Grab a meal before you head to your briefing Captain Yanik’s orders.”
“I’ll do that.”
I left the medbay more concerned that Sarah would pull through than with my own problems. I’d seen good soldiers go off the rails with on a 192 I was nearly one of them. The mess hall beckoned time enough to debrief the squad later.