by Isaac Stone
Our initial job was to patrol the near orbit of Tamara and keep the drop zones open for the UDF Marine ships that made planetfall. Since the Udies had brought in three of the Order motherships for the job, it wasn't as all-encompassing as I feared. We had a zone to protect and not too many incidents of the rebels, who were allied with the Roka militants, trying to run our blockade.
We rotated the FAS ships in and out. Captain still didn't have a full contingent, as the UDF military was too busy with the local fires to answer her requests for another FAS. This meant that we would be on patrol for two shifts and off for one. Captain did her best to make sure we were taken care of the minute the FAS was in the hanger and we were out of it. Most of the time it was Latasha who greeted me with Precious in tow. I don't know how she managed to work the schedule, but it seemed to match all our needs. I never heard one word of complaint from any of the men in my crew that I was getting her mostly to myself.
"Is it pretty bad out there?" Latasha asked me in bed one night. We'd finished with our love making early. Precious sat quietly next to us.
"Not as bad as it's supposed to be on the ground," I replied. "We've had a few runs at us, but they don't last long once Tran opens up with the cannon. I've heard the background chatter on the ground and it’s horrible down there. Marines are dying left and right trying to take that city. For once it's safer to be in a dogfight at mega-speeds than anywhere else."
I turned to look at Precious. She sat on a second towel as a hygienic measure. For some reason, Latasha wouldn't allow her to wear clothes inside her private room. Personally I thought it was a bit of an overkill approach, but this wasn't my space.
"I'm slowly getting used to having her around," I spoke to Latasha. "Has she caused you any trouble?"
"Not much," she replied. "It's one of the reasons I keep her naked in here. Less of a temptation to do something bad."
"What did she do?"
"I caught her trying to use one of the AI's without permission. One button pressed controller and she was on the floor quivering."
Latasha rolled over and glanced at Precious. "You've been a good little girl last week, haven't you?" She asked her.
"Yes," Precious said and looked at the floor.
"Hard to believe this is the same woman who tried to kill all of us," I spoke to Latasha. "But it sounds as if she still has some issues. I mean, we've basically kidnapped her and turned her into something like a pet."
"Not as many issues as you're going to have," Latasha spoke again and rolled over on top of me.
I didn't think about Precious again until she came over and wiped the sweat off us with a towel.
Seemed to work for the ancient Romans, why not us?
14
The order came from the Grand Marshal of the battle groups over Tamara Prime a few days later.
It was one of the rare moments that I had alone with Precious. Latasha was needed on the bridge due to some error in the navigation system. After her last infraction, Captain banned Precious from the bridge. I didn't blame her; I never thought it a good idea to let a former terrorist loose around there. How am I the weird one for thinking that?
I was in the mess hall with Precious. As part of her training, Latasha had decided it wasn't safe to trust her around any knives or forks. Duh. Since she had to eat, this created a problem. A feeding bowl was out of the question. This meant I had to feed her today. She sat in place and I spoon-fed her some meal from a bowl. I felt this wasn't the best solution, but the only would any of us could come up with. I suppose we could have put her on a liquid diet, but that just seemed cruel.
"I done," she told me. Her language abilities were increasing, but still basic. I picked up a napkin and wiped her pert little lips. I could see her frustration, not only with being treated like a child or a plaything slave, but not being able to be more articulate in this new language she was learning. She could have been an astrophysics scholar for all we knew.
"Attention all flight crews," the voice of Captain boomed over the paging system. "You are to proceed to the ready room immediately."
"Guess I'll have to find Latasha," I spoke to Precious. "Don't worry; I'll be back soon enough."
"You leave?" she asked with her eyes all-sad. I knew this was a trick she'd learned, but I fell for it anyway.
"Unfortunately," I told her, wondering instantly why I said that.
I heard footsteps and saw Latasha walking across the room in my direction. Good, I thought, now I don't have to worry about what to do with Precious.
I turned and looked at the captive next to me. I had another bit of inspiration. Captain knew about my interest in her and warned me several times not to make inappropriate contact with Precious. However, she looked so child-like and innocent sitting on that chair in her tunic. Knowing that it was an act to mask the deadly terrorist underneath was just too heady a sensation to ignore. I was overcome with passion I might never be able to fulfill.
Once more, I leaned over and kissed her on the lips. This time I held the kiss for a bit longer than before.
The last thing I thought was, So what? Worst that can happen is I'll be sleeping alone for a week when I get back. I don't think she minded as I felt Precious' tongue slide across my lips.
And then the entire universe vanished.
I was alone, scared, and cold. They'd come that night and busted down the door to our small house. Momma hid me under the bed. I had enough sense to make it outside and cover myself with sticks. It was the same way I'd been taught before.
I saw them burn down the house, the men in uniform. I saw what they did to my mother. At least they killed her after taking turns. They made my brothers watch, and killed them. A few of the soldiers suspected there might be a girl child hiding, but they never found me.
The next day, I made it out of what remained of the village. A man on the road found me and fed me. Then he forced himself on me. I was sold to a brothel. I lived there for years.
One day a man came by preaching redemption through revenge on the people who ruled our planet. He demanded we all join up and bring an end to the wickedness the UDF represented. I liked what he said. That night I stole a client's money and found a knife in his purse. I carved him up pretty good before I joined the Roka. My admission was the severed phallus that I lay at the feet of the local cell.
"Corwin, are you alright?" I heard the voice of Latasha speak to me.
I blinked my eyes again and the mess hall returned. I still faced Precious and looked down at her. Those eyes. I knew what was really behind those eyes.
Why didn't you kill us when you had the chance? I thought. What looked at me were the cold eyes of a psychopath. She'd been made into one; it was the only way she could survive what she'd been through. I couldn't understand why she'd allowed me or anyone else on this ship to live. We'd been too trusting.
Because I like you, Corwin, the eyes told me. I liked to kill people before I met you. Killing is fun if you can get away with it. The Roka let me kill a lot of people. Then I met you in that banquet room. I didn't want to kill you.
I stood there, not six inches from her face and looked into Precious's eyes again. I could hear Latasha in the background, but I didn't care. Never before had I probed so deeply into another person's mind. I think at that moment, I understood why it wasn't such a good idea.
I want to have babies with you, the eyes told me. I'll do anything to keep you with me. All you have to do is say the word and I'll kill everyone on this ship if it means having you inside me.
"Corwin," Latasha almost yelled at me, "You have to get down into the ready room. Captain will be pissed if you're late again."
I managed to stand up. "I'll be back when this whole thing is over," I spoke. Right then, I wasn't sure whom I spoke to, Precious or Latasha.
Latasha held out one hand and Precious took it. The smaller woman stood up and positioned herself behind Latasha.
"I'll take good care of your little girlfriend," Latasha joked. "D
on't worry."
You think that stupid sex toy keeps me under wraps? I've done things to people that you would not believe.
"Keep a close eye on her," I told Latasha. "Don't turn your back on her for one minute."
I'll be a good girl until you come back, the eyes that smirked told me as I moved down the hall. Then we'll have some real fun.
Once I was out of her sight, my sanity returned to normal. How the hell was I going to warn Captain? What proof did I have? We knew she wasn't a virgin from the medical exam, but that was all.
"Corwin!" Captain yelled at me as I entered the ready room with my suit armor in hand.
That might not get the response you wanted, the thought went through my head. However, I kept my words to myself.
"Alright, listen up!" She yelled to the three assembled crews. "The Grand Marshal contacted me an hour ago. The Udies need every one of you swinging dicks down there to provide support for the ground operation. I told him I was sick and tired of sending my boys down there and leaving us up here alone. So, we'll hold it down up here while you bring the glory. To your ships men!"
All three FAS ships launched at the same time. I was in my conning tower trying to sort out the access I'd had to Precious' mind when the landing coordinates and orders were transmitted. I sent them to Orlando and turned to the screen that floated in front of me.
"Who's my contact with the ship this time?" I asked the screen. There was no face image on it.
"Ely, here," the voice came. "Sorry you don't get to spend more time with Latasha, but she's busy with your responsibility."
"What are they up to?" I asked. I had to make the question seem innocent.
"Dunno. Last I saw, Precious was crying on Latasha's shoulder. We've all seen it before, nobody wants to get traded off the Hard Rain once they'd known her embrace." She chuckled.
I wanted to tell Ely to knock it off with the infantile comments, but didn't dare. No reason to cause panic on the mothership when we were in a combat scenario. Plus, maybe the images in my mind were from another source. Was I going crazy? At least she'd promised to behave until I returned.
"How we doing on the ordinances?" I asked Medoro. I could see him checking out the rifles we were supposed to use once we made planetfall.
"Loaded and ready," he responded. "Wish we could use lasers when we get down there, but I guess they don't work so well in an atmosphere." He returned to his inventory check.
It was something else I had to be concerned about. We didn't use impact rifles that much as most of our engagements took place from an FAS in space. Boarding was a rarity and we couldn't use any projectile weapon or laser inside a spaceship. All of us were qualified back on one of the colonies with impact weapons, but they weren't as familiar as what we used on a daily basis. Each of us carried short heat-swords and cold steel on our belts.
I looked at the exterior readings of the FAS and saw the skin heat up as we entered the atmosphere. FAS ships were built for patrol and attack duty, not landing on worlds with a breathable atmosphere. We were vulnerable during ascent. I hoped the UDF Navy was right when it said the zone over Tamara Prime was ours. I didn't want to take evasive action on our way down.
I opened the sealed orders on my tablet and looked at them. Time to let the men know what we were in for today.
"I've just looked at our operating commands," I spoke to the others. The landing zone was coming up rapidly, so they needed to know what to do.
"We'll make planetfall at the secure perimeter," I told them. "Once we're on the surface, we'll proceed to the forward operating position of the combined Order forces trying to breech the city's defenses. We'll be there to provide support, but expect to get into one or two firefights if this drags out too long. Our primary objective is the government palace, but it could change once we're in position."
"Always wanted to shoot one of those impact rifles against a target that shot back," Tran opined. "Guess today we get the chance."
"All of us going to be down there?" Medoro asked.
"Just this ship and Tank's," I replied. "Shelly stays in orbit in case someone tries to slip in behind our rearguard. He'll get the chance to do it again next time."
By the time we'd touched down, I found out the final assault was in progress on Tamara Prime. We landed in a field outside the city walls. There were already several other landing vehicles from other orders in place. I couldn't make out the lettering on one until I realized it was Greek and belonged to one of the Amazon clans.
After we'd changed into our tactical gear, I left with my crew and made our way to the staff office of the Grand Marshal. It consisted of a tent plopped down into a muddy field.
We passed a group of ten women on their way out, part of the Amazon Clans who'd flown down in the ship I spotted. They didn't pay us any attention. No doubt, they were in a big hurry to get to the battle zone.
The Grand Marshal, an older man in his sixties, was behind a table when we entered the tent. He was surrounded by several Udie officers, which didn't surprise me, given the nature of this fight.
"Fast Attack Squad One," I announced on entering the tent. "Where do you need us? We landed ten minutes ago."
"Here," he spoke as I was handed a map. "I need you at this gate to the city fast as you can go. I don't think it will hold out much longer. We need to get inside that place or I'll have to order a bombing run."
I took the map from him. "Consider it done, “I spoke and turned to leave.
"You'll find the other group from your pack over there too," he informed me. "If I don't see you again, tell your captain thank you for the prompt assistance." He returned to the screens and maps in front of him.
Most of the city was abandoned. I could see refugee tents camped out in the distance guarded by the Udie military. The only thing that kept the city from falling was the Roka, who'd infiltrated the watch guard of Tamara Prime. They had enough provisions and ammunition to keep us from getting inside. I wanted to make sure we were in on the initial assault once the order was given to take the city. So far, the Udies were happy enough to surround it and prevent any of the rebels from leaving.
My thoughts about our situation turned to Precious after we left the tent. It was a long walk to the position we were supposed to take and I had time to dwell on her. If I'd picked up her thoughts for real, she was an issue that needed to be resolved. I wished there was someone from the Goat Squad around, but they were deployed somewhere else.
As I walked, the sensation of something else came over me. It was similar to what I'd felt when I kissed Precious, but this time I was the one being probed. There wasn't much else to do but march. I could feel the rhythm of our steps send me into a state of sleepwalking. It was hot outside and in the middle of the Tamarian day. The planet was similar enough to other habitable worlds that the same conditions for combat prevailed. The air was a bit thicker due to the carbon dioxide content.
I felt something surround me and try to have a good look inside my head. I didn't like the sensation and glanced around to see if it came from anyone near me. I couldn't see anyone staring at me, but that told me nothing. The other paranormality might be concealed somewhere. I continued on with the march and tried to figure out who might be behind the probe.
The air smelled of plants and decay. I'd forgotten how a natural world smelled and felt. Here, little was laid out according to a master plan. The repair depot station we'd visited awhile back was situated on an asteroid terraformed specifically for the purpose. I looked up and watched a large insect fly across the sky. The summary I'd read mentioned as to how the local faunae wasn't dangerous, but I live on a spaceship and the sight of insects is jarring.
The sensation didn't even seem to come from Tamara. I felt it originated from somewhere else in space. This bothered me as it would imply some intelligence had mastered time and space. How the hell could we defend ourselves from such a thing?
It faded away and I was left to my thoughts as our group made its way to th
e city gates. I could see other military camps scattered in the distance and the anxious looks on the faces of men who carried guns. The showdown was almost upon us and no one wanted to be left out of it.
"That was an Amazon group that passed us on the way into the tent?" Medoro asked me as we made our way to our objective. "First time I've seen them up close."
"Didn't you notice the Greek letters?" I asked him. "Only Amazons use those. I've seen them before."
"I think they looked pretty hot," he confessed to me.
"Don't sweat it," I told him. "Those Amazons are only interested in other Amazons. Most are gold star."
"What do you mean by that?" He asked.
"They've never been with a man," I spoke as I kicked a rock out of the trail. "And they want to keep it that way."
"So where do they get new Amazons?" He asked.
"Artificial insemination, I guess. Though I assume they'd have more recruits. Don't really know, maybe they have a large contingent that volunteer to reproduce. Perhaps they hug the bed and think of Artemis. You can always ask one if we're in the same camp."
We reached the fire zone an hour later. Tank was already there with his crew and we joined up with them.
From what I could tell, everyone was waiting for the final order to take the walls. In the distance I watched a cannon roll into place and lower its barrel at the gate in front of us. From the top of the walls, snipers fired down, but they failed to slow down the artillery crew. I flipped over the map given to me by the Grand Marshall. It was a detailed map of the city on the other side, the final objective marked in red.
"Have you heard anything about when the assault begins?" I asked Tank as I walked up to him. I turned around and gave the order to stay put to the other men. They went over and mixed with Tank's crew.
