A New Beginning

by Alexander W Meurant

  "Got it Sir. I will" she stated and then stepped aside as Sembak walked straight past her, near colliding with her in the process. Sembak didn't even flinch as he left his office, obviously set on getting somewhere fast. Lesha watched him go and then let out a shuddering breath. Then she walked out and headed for her office, her mind whirring about the circumstances for Sembaks task. Lesha knew she would be able to access the piracy records with her clearance level and would be able to arrange for digital copies to get to Sembak’s airship, but seeing as this seemed like a rushed situation, she doubted she would be able to read through any of the content.

  Sighing she shook her head just as she reached her office and stepped inside. Things had suddenly gotten quite busy.

  * * *

  Sain looked around the room of the airship he was in with barely concealed unease. There were only twenty of his platoon members present here, roughly half of their full number and Sain wondered why the group had been rushed onto the ship, with no gear apart from what they had on them at the time. Groups were talking in low murmurs between themselves, and the air of the group was tense. Roland sat beside Sain with another platoon member, speculating on numerous scenarios that would have the group rushed into action and Sain couldn't help but listen to them gossiping.

  Hearing one of the sliding doors slide open behind the group, all chatter died down and nearly everyone turned around to face the newcomers, Sain included.

  As the group entered Sain looked them over, recognizing Travos, Sembak and Lesha. Sain felt his heartbeat quicken somewhat as he saw Lesha. She saw him and averted her eyes, trying not to look at him and he let a small smile briefly cross his face. She had hinted at keeping their relationship discreet after all, even if many people already knew what had happened between them. Feeling a nudge in his ribs Sain shot a look at Roland, the man waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

  "Fuck off man" Sain muttered under his breath causing the man to grin briefly. Turning his gaze back to the group as they walked to the front of the room, Sain settled into his seat, noting how a deathly silence had spread over the group of soldiers. Sembak turned on his heel to face them, his hard gaze sweeping over group. As the man’s gaze passed over him, Sain felt a slight shiver run through his body and goose bumps race along the skin of his arms.

  Standing straight, Sembak clasped his hands behind his back and stuck his rotund belly out, seemingly preparing to speak. Behind him Lesha turned to a computer and plugged in what looked like a hard drive. After a few moments a decent sized monitor on the wall behind the trio turned on and showed what appeared to be an overhead shot of a ship at sea.

  "Let’s get to it then shall we" Sembak’s loud voice sounded out and all attention in the room instantly focused on the man. He turned sideways and indicated the monitor on the wall, and the image of the ship shown.

  "As of early this morning, this ship, the M.S Acheron was set upon and seized by pirates" Sembak declared, causing a murmur to run through the group of soldiers. Sain flicked his eyes around and noted a few puzzled looks on the faces of his comrades.

  "I can see some of you are confused, and you are most likely wondering why the air force is being called upon for something the navy would normally handle" Sembak stated as he swept his eyes over the room. All voices died down and Sembak continued.

  "The pirates demanded ransom, and the ship’s owner refused to pay. So, the Navy sent in a boarding party in the early afternoon, and they got slaughtered. A few survivors were taken prisoner and one was executed not long ago" Sembak stated, his voice hard. Sain gulped and heard a few muttered curses from others in the room.

  "There are a dozen pirates. Two small boats boarded, each carrying six people, some of which are apparently mages of significant aptitude. That is why we are here" Sembak added and turned back to look at the picture of the ship. Sain looked it over also and noted the shipping containers stacked all over the deck, and seemingly in rows, creating what seemed like small corridors between them.

  "After the Navy attempted boarding and failed, as I mentioned, multiple Navy personnel were captured and one was executed on the prow of the ship. One of the ship’s crew shortly followed. Another demand for ransom was issued. Ransom was once again refused so now I have been asked to intervene. That is why you are all here. Any questions?" Sembak asked, looking out over the room once more. Sain flicked his eyes to Lesha and Travos as they stood behind and off to either side of Sembak, their faces stony and devoid of emotion.

  "Sir, why haven’t the pirates left if they aren’t getting what they want?" came a query from someone. Sain didn't see who it was, his eyes still glued on those at the front of the room. He watched Sembak scowl and turn his gaze towards the speaker.

  "Because they can't. The ship has a destroyer and frigate watching it. Whilst the pirates hold the ship with hostages and the goods within it, the Navy cannot attack them with ship guns and risk international condemnation" Sembak stated before sweeping his gaze around the room menacingly. Sain felt goosebumps run up his arms at the man’s expression. Sembak really wasn't that likeable in his opinion.

  "Any more questions?" Sembak asked and waited a few moments in silence. When no one else spoke up Sembak turned to Travos and nodded at him.

  "You have the floor Major. Mission particulars are yours" Sembak said and then stepped forward before striding through the seated soldiers and making his way to the door at the back of the room. The sliding noise sounded as the door opened and then closed. Sain saw a few heads turn as they watched the Commander go. A collective sigh seemed to sweep through the group and Sain felt the air of tension lessen even as Travos coughed into his hand, getting everyone’s attention.

  "This may seem like a simple assignment, but it is far from it. It is quite soon after our last mission and some of you may still be fatigued. Those of us who are not here were on leave and could not reach the base in time for takeoff. So, now for the fun stuff. We will be doing a long sky drop onto the ship at night. We will have side arms only. The objectives are as follows. Capture all pirates and rescue all hostages. If you cannot capture a pirate for any reason, kill them. Do not put yourself at risk" Travos stated and sucked in a breath before continuing.

  "This will come down to the use of magic. I don't want any large-scale magic being used. It will be tight quarters in the ships confines as it is. Keep your barriers up and use magic to subdue any pirate. You see a hostage, shield them so they don't get caught in the fight. As for enemy mages, as the Commander stated, there are some, and they are quite competent. Be careful. When we do the drop, meet up with anyone you can on the ship. Once you have, follow orders of the highest rank present. This will be messy, but nothing like our last mission. And, each of you will be given a body camera instead of just a select few. Footage will be used for PR purposes" Travos stated and exhaled sharply. Everyone stayed quiet and Sain wondered if there would be any questions. Everything seemed somewhat straight forward to him. A small number of enemies, and even if there were mages, he was confident in his ability.

  "Alright. We should reach the drop point later tonight. Go gear up in the armory and then get a bit of rest. Remember, side arms only. Dismissed" Travos stated and Sain heard scraping as chairs were slid back and people got up. He too got to his feet and turned to look at Roland who had raised a brow at him.

  "You look nervous lad. Don't be. I know it’s your second mission and all, but this will be a walk in the park compared to your first one. So, come on, let’s go gear up and then maybe play some cards yeah" Roland stated and Sain nodded, falling into step beside the older soldier, making his way to the airships armory.

  Chapter 28

  * * *

  "This has the stink of the Alliance all over it Meydar, there is no denying that" Sembak growled as he leant back in his chair and causing it to creak loudly under his weight. He held a sheaf of papers in his hands, and occasionally flicked his eyes down to read over details of what was written there.

  "It cert
ainly does Sembak, but Air Marshal Hagen will not make a move based on assumptions. Especially when the Cassar Alliance is involved. A number of Alliance members are significant trading partners of some of our own council members" Meydar replied, his voice cutting out somewhat as the video link between the two wavered slightly. Sembak looked up, his eyes narrowing as he looked his colleague in the face. The man was as lean as Sembak was fat and had a hawkish look about his face. Even his eyes looked like that of a bird of prey, like he was always looking for his next target. Sembak realized his thoughts were wandering and scowled, bringing his mind back to the matter at hand.

  "I know that. The council is more interested in money than confronting the Alliance. And don't get me started on Hagen. the man has become weak since he got promoted from General Commander to Air Marshal" Sembak muttered and lifted a hand to rub his jaw, his eyes darting down to the papers in his hands. He sighed, his big belly heaving somewhat before he leant forward and placed the sheath of papers down on his small desk.

  "You know what these reports indicate? One of my officers went through them, and you know what she found? That over three quarters of piracy conducted within the Sirius straight in the last twelve months originated in coastal villages and towns of the Cassar Alliance. Thirty-seven case's in total. If that isn't evidence of Alliance involvement, then I don't know what is" Sembak stated angrily and indicated the discarded papers with a flick of his hand.

  "No Sembak, it is not evidence of involvement. Maybe negligence, but not involvement. More evidence will have to be gathered before the Council can be swayed to take action against the Alliance" Meydar stated, his voice taking a hard edge. Sembak scowled again knowing Meydar was right. The man’s mind was like a whip, quick and sharp when used properly. Hearing a knock on his door Sembak turned and stood.

  "Enter" he stated as he leant down to his desk and gathered up the papers. Hearing the door open he saw Lieutenant Tahl and he stared blankly at her, waiting for her to speak.

  "Sir, it approaches the drop time. We are waiting for you" the young woman stated and Sembak nodded curtly.

  "I will be at the bridge shortly. Meydar, I must cut this short. The operation is about to begin, and I must oversee it" Sembak stated and looked to the monitor on the wall. He saw Meydar nod and stand up from a desk of his own.

  "Very well. Best of luck. We will continue this conversation later. Perhaps in a more physical setting" Meydar stated before he lifted a remote and pressed a button, ending the connection. Sembak scowled slightly and turned his attention to the Lieutenant, a hint of anger flashing across his face.

  "Let's get this over with Lieutenant. I have other things to do" Sembak stated gruffly and moved past the young officer and out into the narrow hall of the airship, picking up a brisk walk as he made his way towards the aircrafts bridge.

  * * *

  As the small drop shift left the bay of Sembak's airship Sain looked at the nine other men and women standing in front of him. He couldn't sense their moods but guessed that they were feeling something like what he currently was. A mixture of fear and excitement.

  Flicking his gaze past those in front, Sain looked through the half open door of the drop ships rear bay. He caught sight of the airship they had disembarked, the large vessel shrinking in the distance. Smiling grimly Sain marveled at its size. The vessels sheer size had been hard to get a sense of when he had boarded it at the airfield, but now that he was seeing it from above, he felt a sort of admiration. To think humans were capable of building such things.

  "It’s not that impressive. There were things even more admirable in the previous age" came a voice in his head and Sain groaned a little. He sensed a head turn his way and looked to his right seeing a masked face staring at him.

  "You alright Sain" came the voice of Roland and Sain gave a jerky nod.

  "All good, just a cramp" Sain lied and then focused his thoughts.

  "I thought you were gone" Sain thought at himself grimly, trying to communicate with that other voice in his head, seeing as it always read his thoughts.

  "Well I'm not gone. I just didn't feel the need to say much" came the voice again and Sain scowled. It had been a few days since he had heard that other voice in his head, since he had approached Lesha in her apartment actually.

  "Well, please don't say anything when I am on mission. You'll distract me" Sain once again thought in his mind.

  "You have bigger problems to worry about than a voice in your head kid" came the voice and Sain felt his heart thump hard.

  "Wait, what do you mean by that?" Sain asked and waited. When no reply came Sain grit his teeth.

  "Don't leave me hanging here. What do you mean I have bigger things to worry about?" Sain asked again, only receiving silence in return. He felt a surge of anger and frustration and swore.

  "What’s up Sain, that cramp bothering you?" Roland asked him and Sain realized he must have sworn out loud.

  "Ah shit, yeah. It's in my foot" Sain stated and pretended to flex his left foot into the floor of the dropship. Suddenly feeling the small dropship elevate slightly and turn to the side Sain gripped the bars running along the roof that bit harder, his mind suddenly focusing on keeping his balance.

  "Well, get it under control, we are going to jump soon" Roland stated and nodded forward as the bay door opened fully and a small clump of lights appeared in the distance. Lights in an otherwise dark sea. That would be the ship they were to land on. Hearing a shrill beep Sain looked up and saw the lights above them turn from red to orange and he sucked in a breath.

  "This is it" he muttered and dropped a hand quickly to his hip, feeling his pistol there, the only firearm he had been allowed to bring with him.

  "It sure is. Now get focused. Remember what we are here to do. This will be nothing like our last mission" Roland stated just as the orange light turned green. Sain exhaled a breath and watched the four other pairs of soldiers before him leap from the rear door of the small dropship. And then he was after them as well, falling through the air, his arms tucked tight to his body. He looked forward, his night vision not turned on yet. He could still see the clump of lights in the distance, and that would be enough to guide him.

  He could make out the shapes of his comrades in the darkness below, the light of the moon illuminating their backs. Lifting a hand to his goggles he pressed the button for his night vision and his sight lit up in a lurid green light. Seeing the soldier in front of him open their arms to release their gliding flaps Sain followed suit, quickly yanking the tabs on his ribs and extended his arms and legs outwards, the flaps between his arms and legs billowing slightly.

  As he caught air between the flaps Sain felt his descent slow and he grinned a little in exhilaration. He looked to the left and saw another group of soldiers, their forms visible as bright lights in the dark night sky. They would be the other group that Travos was in. The group that had jumped from a second dropship. Looking back to the front he saw the target ship rapidly approaching. Travos had told them earlier they would be jumping a few kilometers out from the ship, but out on this empty sea it was hard to judge distance, especially with nothing to use as a comparison. The vessel was quite long and wide, with numerous containers stacked on it, forming a sort of pyramid like shape but it still looked like a small toy in the distance.

  As the two groups sped closer to the ship Sain focused his eyes forward and locked his gaze on a single point of the vessel, a long walkway that ran along the port side of the ship. As he sped closer still Sain curled his bare fingertips inwards to the palm of his hand, setting his bare skin against an air crystal secured at the base of his palm. Sensing the energy in the crystal he pulled on it and frowned, sensing it slipping away from his contact slightly. That was unusual. Trying again he got a grasp on it and focused his mind on guiding the energy to its purpose.

  He came in close to the ship and saw two others of his group land before him. Creating a wall of wind in front of him Sain grit his teeth as he felt his upper body
pull back, the rush of air catching in the membranes between his limbs and upper torso. Closing his legs his lower body shot out in front of him and his feet touched the ship deck. Staggering from the impact Sain lurched forward and collided shoulder first with the side of a container, a loud thump sounding even as the wind was knocked out of him.

  Letting out a low groan Sain slid down the surface of the container, pain spreading through his right side where he had hit the container. Feeling hands on his shoulders, Sain looked up into the masked faces of the two other soldiers that had landed before him. They said nothing as they hauled Sain to his feet, one of them lifting a finger to his lips as if to tell Sain to be quiet.