She looked around at her work. The reptile laying by the bar table was grimacing and panting, the leader was still making the hissing shrieking sound, the one she had just hit lay on the floor, his jaw no longer aligned with the rest of his head making a strained moaning sound. Touren and Bynor were rushing towards her. She noticed Si’ir Monn standing in the doorway, arms crossed, looking at her. She rubbed her back where she had been hit. “I’ll have a bruise there tomorrow.” she thought.
Touren dropped down to the reptiles laying at Sah Lee’s feet, checking their injuries and seeing what first aid she could administer. Bynor was doing the same for the reptile laying by the bar table. The bar tender, a tall mammal covered in black fur leaned over the bar and spoke to her. “Did you want a drink, or did you just come for a fight?”
“The plan was to come here with my friends for a quiet drink. Sorry for the disturbance. If I don’t get taken away by security, we’ll spend the evening here without any more trouble.”
“I saw what happened, a clear case of self-defense. I remember you from last time you came here. Maybe after this those three obnoxious shits won’t come back again. At least the furniture hasn’t all been smashed this time. Are you the young Aarnth everyone is talking about?”
“I’m from Aarn, I didn’t know everyone was talking about me.”
“So you’re Sah Lee. Well, you’re always welcome here, but can you avoid any more fighting? This place has a reputation for being a quiet, peaceful place.”
“I’ll try to.” she smiled and stepping over Touren and the reptiles, returned to her friends.
Sah Lee smiled up at Si’ir Monn. “You found us.”
He unfolded has arms and sat down. “If I’d known you had arranged entertainment, I would have got here earlier.”
“Ah. Yes. About those reptiles,” she said
“I recognized them from the recording your AI made last time you met them. You remember, your AI passed it to me?”
“The barman said it was self-defense.” she said, knowing she had goaded them into a fight.
“I’ve contacted security. They know about these three. They didn’t seem upset that you’d kicked their ass’s, so they won't be coming down here.”
Sah Lee was quite relieved. She didn’t want to lose the privileges she had been granted as a prisoner. “What about medics?”
“They should be here soon.” Seltet answered. “Really Sah Lee, do you need a chaperone whenever you go out?”
“They had it coming. The three of them picked on Touren and me when we came in here before, three to two. I gave them better odds today, one to three.”
Seltet sighed. “It doesn’t work that way. You can’t go around beating the shit out of people just because they have offended you.”
Si’ir Monn said, “It works for me.”
“I was talking about civilized people, that doesn’t include you!” she snapped at him.
“Point taken. Who wants a drink?” he asked.
Chapter Sixty Nine
No More Accidents
The following morning, the security officer Tor Semmenad brought Sah Lee’s breakfast to her cell. “You might want to leave this and take a shower instead. You’ve got a visitor waiting for you, Colonel B’Erren Tek.”
“Oh shit. This will be about last night.”
“I would imagine so. You are supposed to be a prisoner after all.”
“You heard about it?”
“Yeah, most people on Betzel Station will by now.”
“I think I’ll skip the shower and go straight to see her.”
“She’s having a hot drink right now and talking to Sek, she doesn’t expect you straight away. Take a shower and put a new prison uniform on. I’ll put one in the wet room for you. Don’t just stand there! Get a move on!”
Sah Lee sprinted to the wet room, showered and changed. Tor was waiting for her when she came out and took her to the weapons training room. The door was closed, and the Colonel’s AI returned a do not disturb notice. Tor stood and waited patiently while Sah Lee nervously moved from foot to foot, wondering what was in store for her this time.
After a few minutes, which felt like hours to Sah Lee, she got a message from the Colonel’s AI to come in as the door slid open and Sek walked out, smiling at Sah Lee. She stepped inside and stood to attention in front of the table that Colonel B’erren Tek sat at.
“Private Sah Lee reporting, Sir!”
“At ease Private. Do you know why I’m here?”
“Uh, is it about last night Sir?”
“What about last night Private?”
“I’m sorry Sir but they started it when I went to that bar with Touren last time…”
“Private,” the Colonel interrupted, “nothing happened last night. I spoke to the security AI and nothing happened. Medical records show that three soldiers got hurt in an accident and they will all make a full recovery in a few days, though the one with the broken spine may take a little longer.”
“But…”
“Don’t interrupt Private. I am making some changes.”
This was what Sah Lee was dreading.
“I need you to assure me that there will be no more ‘accidents’ involving you in future.”
“Yes Sir. I mean, no Sir. No more ‘accidents’.”
“Good. If there are, it would be - unfortunate for you.”
“Yes Sir.”
“I am releasing you from custody on your own recognizance. That means you will be responsible for your own actions and within certain limits will be as free as any other soldier in this army. Do you understand so far?”
Sah Lee was taken aback. She was not expecting this. “Yes Sir. You said, ‘within certain limits.’ What are they?”
“You are confined to your quarters except for training and exercises. No going out in the evenings, no long runs in the corridors, no jaunts off station.”
“That’s OK, I like the training and I can run on the treadmill, though it’s not the same as free running, even in the corridors.”
“Good. Tomorrow you’re included in a field exercise. I will be your unit officer, you’ve met the rest of the team. We’re going down to Betzel, so you’ll be wearing field armor and an environment suit. That’s all you need to know for now, you’ll get a full briefing in the morning, just as you would on a real mission. I’ve sent out team orders, your AI should have yours now. Don’t be late or you’ll be on a charge. Do you understand what that means?”
“Yes Sir! Article 186 Galactic Savior Army Code of Justice states that it is a crime to fail to go to one’s appointed place of duty at the time prescribed. Minor transgressions may be dealt with by the offender’s immediate command officer, more aggravated cases will be dealt with by a disciplinary board, Sir!”
“Very good Private. Please ensure that you consult with your AI before doing anything other than following direct orders. For example, before going into a bar and initiating an ‘accident.’ Do we understand each other?”
“Yes Sir!”
“Using common sense would help too. You are not on the plains now Sah Lee, you are part of a large military organization which has to have rules otherwise it would descend into chaos. It sometimes pays to keep a low profile, to not stand out and be noticed. You are failing to do that, mostly for the wrong reasons. The Generals were not happy to be pressured by Ker Din Ser Forn to recruit you. They wanted you thrown out after the Orn incident, but I saw an inexperienced but proactive soldier who could assess the situation and was ready to take charge and lead troops. One of the soldiers you ordered to join you was Corporal D’Nesh. His initial response to having an order shouted at him by a rookie Private was to have you restrained, but he saw the sense of what you said so followed you and took his troopers with him. Your fellow soldiers in your unit followed you, including Touren, your superior officer, because you were correct in your assessment that Corporal Ren Deel needed immediate first aid and she was best qualified to provide it.”
“Of course you did something wrong!” the Colonel snapped back at her. “But you showed that Ker Din Ser Forn was correct, you are a natural leader. You have also shown an innate sense of fairness and an aptitude for violence. These attributes mean you have the potential to make a great field commander, but you have much to learn first. The field exercises will help you develop leadership skills and experience in a number of scenarios in environments you could find yourself fighting in. You will use a KE weapon tomorrow, which I understand you lack proficiency with. You will not be fighting today. Private Bynor Sess Prec, the Rinquit you have trained with, will take you to the firing range where he will coach you in the use of KE weapons and help you choose the most appropriate model for you to use tomorrow. He is waiting for you outside. Any questions?”
“No Sir.”
“Work hard today Private. I expect you to have bonded with your weapon by tomorrow and use it like the professional soldier you want to be. Dismissed.”
Chapter Seventy
Shooting Pains
Bynor greeted Sah Lee with his customary salute of respect, which she reciprocated. “Your punishment is not following the customary progress.” he said as they walked toward the firing range.
“I am new to the army, but this form of punishment is not described in the Galactic Savior Army Code of Justice, so I don’t know, but it does seem to keep changing.”
“I have seen it used a few times. It seems to be given to soldiers who have committed disciplinary crimes that are serious enough to warrant a dishonorable discharge, but the army would rather not dismiss, hoping they will either survive and come out of it a stronger and more skilled fighter, or they will resign and leave without a stain on their record.”
“I believe Si’ir Monnen Dak was given the punishment. What was that for?”
“He punched General Abrussek after being sent on a mission he thought was under-manned and more than half of the unit was killed.”
“I see. He survived it.”
“You’ve met him. You should realize that he is so fucked up in the head that he thrived on it.”
“Yes, what is wrong with him, why does he lose his temper so easily?”
“I don't know. I understand the army have tried to treat him, but his own people couldn’t, so there was little chance that the army could.”
“Poor Si’ir Monn. It must be hard for him.”
“It has taken him from his people and he never settles anywhere for long. He goes from army to army, leaving friends and comrades behind. He haunts the battlefields of the galaxy, like an emissary of Death. He will die in battle one day; his soul will be at rest then.”
“Do you believe we have souls Bynor?”
“Of course not, when we die, we die. It is just a saying from my people’s distant past.”
“My people have the same saying. Perhaps it is true.”
Bynor smiled at her, the first time she had seen him smile. “Perhaps it is Sah Lee. Come, let’s run the rest of the way.”
When they got to the firing range, Bynor took her to the armory. “You know how to use this.” he said, pulling a pulsed particle beam weapon off a rack. “This is a GSA20. They have a built-in power supply, have no recoil and are silent in operation. They are almost completely ineffective against field-based armor, but if it has been collapsed by KE fire, these will penetrate body armor easily.” He pulled another more complicated weapon from another rack. “This is the standard issue KE weapon, the FKE42, it’s the forty second version of the army’s Field Kinetic Energy weapon. These fire small metal projectiles which are held in a metal tube. The metal tube contains a chemical charge which explodes inside the chamber of the weapon. The rapidly expanding gasses push the projectile, or bullet, along this long metal tube called the barrel.” he pointed to it, “It exits the end of the barrel, or muzzle, at high velocity. As you know, every action has an equal and opposite reaction, so although the bullet has a relatively low mass, it is pushed forward with a great deal of kinetic energy, so the weapon pushes back with that same amount of force, which is called recoil. This perforated device on the end of the barrel dampens that recoil, but you will still feel it push back at you.” he looked up at Sah Lee, who was grinning.
“Yeah, Si’ir Monn told me about the explosion inside the barrel. That’s very funny. How does it really work?”
Bynor looked puzzled. “That is how works Sah Lee. Why do you think it’s funny?”
Still grinning, Sah Lee said “An explosion inside of it. And it just blows it out of the barrel. Of course. Come on Bynor, I used one of these with Si’ir Monn. The bullets come out there really fast. They’re not just blown out. You must tell all the rookies that story, but I’ve heard it now, so tell me how they really work.”
Bynor said, rather stiffly, “I can assure you Sah Lee that I have described exactly how they work.”
“Just a moment.” she said.
“Hey AI, how do these KE weapons really work? They won’t tell me.”
“Bynor has described succinctly how they work. Let me show you.” Sah Lee’s AI displayed a brief animation of the working of a KE weapon, showing a round going into the chamber, a center firing pin striking the primer end of the cartridge which then ignited explosively and set off the propellant charge. The bullet was propelled along the barrel by the expanding gasses and spun by the rifling in the interior bore to give it stability in flight, then ejected from the muzzle.
“My AI has just shown me how it works! You weren’t joking! That’s the strangest thing I’ve seen since I left Aarn.”
“It is a primitive but effective method. Did your race not have KE weapons?”
“No, I’ve never heard of them before I came here, though the outcasts who invaded us had them.”
“Your race is more civilized than I gave them credit for.” Bynor said. “This is what we will use today. There are other models, I know that you had some of them in the room within your prison exercise room, but I suggest you use this one. It is effective and easy to carry; the magazines are compact and relatively light, and the different types are easy to distinguish from each other when selecting the type of bullet you want. You will usually have two types of bullet, standard armor piercing and explosive. You would use explosive bullets against large opponents - Krendor size and bigger. We will use armor piercing today, that’s what you’ll use tomorrow on Betzel, though they will be simulated, we won’t be using live rounds.”
Bynor fitted Sah Lee with small ear defenders and took her to the firing range which had a lot of soldiers using it that day. The ear defenders muffled the sound of firing but allowed them to speak to each other without needing to raise their voices. This was the first time she had used a KE weapon since Si’ir Monn had told her to learn the theory of small arms ballistics. Now, aided by her AI, she learnt how they worked in practice.
Chapter Seventy One
A Team Game
Sah Lee boarded the lander with the rest of the squad, which consisted of herself, Colonel B’Erren Tek, Si’ir Monn, Bynor and Touren.
Betzel had only half the gravity that Sah Lee was used to and although she had spent time on the planet when Si’ir Monn started training her, she still found it difficult to walk around without stumbling and falling over. Her feet always went a bit further than she expected, not landing where she had planned. On the uneven ground she often stumbled and then found it difficult to get her balance again, because although she only weighed half as much as she was used to, her mass, and therefore her kinetic energy, was the same. The difference to what she was used to was enough to disorient her.
The first time she fell, she was worried that she might crack the faceplate of her environment suit and lose her air, but Bynor assured her that it was as strong as body armor and she had nothing to worry about. He stayed by her side as they walked from the lander to the briefing area. Like all the others, he had considerable experience of movin
g in a range of different gravitational potentials.
Colonel B’Erren Tek stood in front of the soldiers in her squad. “For the purpose of this exercise you will all assume the rank of Private. I will be your squad Corporal. The scenario is that the army has come to the aid of a resort planet that has been attacked by outcasts who attempted a hit and run raid, but we arrived too quickly for them to escape and they are pinned down in various locations. Our mission is to rescue five hostages being held in an isolated villa. There are four hostiles who realize that our primary objective is to free the hostages unharmed. The hostiles want to negotiate their release and safe passage in return for them freeing the hostages. We won’t do that, of course. This is not a negotiating exercise.
“Sah Lee, for your information, as you haven’t been on one of these exercises before, the outcasts are golems controlled by a battle training AI. Their look and clothes are modeled on real outcasts as are their weapons and their actions. The hostages are non-combatant androids - that is, lifelike machines, modeled on a real hostage rescue situation we resolved some time ago. The outcasts and hostages will act in character, reacting to the unfolding events. You could undertake this exercise many times and never encounter the same reactions twice, so it is not predictable. You will all be firing blanks, but anything hit by one of your virtual shots will react as if it was being hit by a real shot. If you are hit by one of the golems or by one of your colleagues, your AI will inform you and tell you what your injury is. The rest of your squad will also be informed in exactly the same way as they would in a real mission. Any questions? No? Good.”
Hunter, Warrior, Commander Page 30
