“For your information, and please pass this on, I haven’t mated once. I’ve never had sexual intercourse. I’m a virgin and I haven’t coupled with my wife. If you talk about my sexual activities in a derogatory way again, under the Free Fleet code, conduct, rules, and standards, I will charge you with sexual harassment,” Salchar growled. Anger filled his voice.
The politician’s smirk turned grim.
“You lie with every breath. Fleet code. Hah! You have no code, or honor. My troops could kill you with a single order from me!” he snarled. “You look a little confused.”
James was gone and Salchar’s mask was in place as he turned from the politician to Yasu. “Did you distribute the Free Fleet’s code of conduct?”
“I gave a copy to Carsickle. I was meaning to have it posted online. We’ve been busy getting rid of the Syndicate forces.”
“Ah, I see. Please see to it that it is posted for people to view. But, as I know Carsickle, he would’ve tried to bring this information to you, so it seems that you weren’t able to get information readily available to you. That is something you should endeavor to work on. Information is of vital importance, especially the Free Fleet’s code of conduct—or FFCC—as you will serve a term, possibly in space and in the majority away from your home for the duration. I will let any infractions to the FFCC go for now—within reason. But work to attain a copy of the FFCC at your earliest convenience.” Salchar’s voice was cold, his red eyes burning into the politician’s.
The shadow leader had regained his composure, losing his forward drive that the insult would’ve given him as it was truly and utterly stonewalled. Embarrassed and shame-faced, his mocking became anger. “You and your whore will not get any special treatment here.”
Yasu watched as James’s face became an icy mask.
“Say one more thing that goes against the code and I will have you arrested if I have to bring the Resilient into the atmosphere and dig you out. I know that in desperate times, people will turn to those who seem to have a plan.” James crossed his arms. “Yet in peaceful times, people don’t want a ruler who is willing to wage war. Do they?”
The leader looked apoplectic as Salchar continued.
“It is in the leader’s best interest in wartime, if they desire to continue to be in power, to do two things: create a new threat or win completely. Now, with my appearance and the offer of protection—that takes away the new threat, though your propaganda machine is working to remember that. Then, you are not allowed to win completely as my forces are already clearing your planet. So, at best you come out with a half-win. Good so far?” Salchar asked rhetorically as he paced.
“So then, that leaves me as the commander of the fleet in orbit of your planet and you as a short-lived official who worked from behind the scenes to ready people for a battle that never came.”
The Chaleelian shadow leader changed from looking offended to laughing.
Yasu and Salchar looked at him in confusion.
He crossed his hands. “There’s one problem.” He fired a pistol through his jacket, killing one guard to his right. The one on his left was too stunned to react as the politician turned and shot him too.
“I never worked for the people of Chaleel. I was recruited by the Syndicate long ago.” He pulled a pistol identical to the one in his hand from a guard’s belt, putting it in his hidden holster.
“While you two ended the Syndicate occupation of Chaleel, you will also prove to be good trophies to get me in the good graces of the Syndicate again. Then, when they return, I can take over my position as shadow leader again.”
“What about the Free Fleet?”
“What about them? The Syndicate will easily push them aside. No one can defeat the Syndicate, not even the Union could.” He shot James, who curled in a ball on the ground, a hole through his stomach.
Yasu didn’t think as she pulled a needle-thin clip that held her hair from her bun and threw it at the shadow leader. It hit his arm, making him shoot the desk as Salchar let a roar go. He ripped the desk from the floor, using it like a shield as he charged the leader, who fired into the heavy metal table, unable to penetrate it. Salchar threw it at him as he dove with a yelp. Salchar jumped, using his claws and the roof to swing down onto the shadow leader.
“Don’t kill him, James,” Yasu said as soothingly as possible as she saw the wild look in his eyes.
He took a few breaths to calm himself. The shadow leader was whimpering. A stain spread through his clothes. Yasu’s own adrenaline was abating as she realized there was someone banging on the door.
“Open it.” Salchar’s claws retracted.
Yasu did, getting pinned to the floor as combat geared soldiers covered Salchar. For a second, she thought they were going to fire.
“Someone get over here with a goddamn camera,” Salchar demanded.
A few seconds later, General Carsickle walked in the room, looking at the damage. “What do you need a camera for?” he asked calmly.
“To picture this asshole’s weapon still in hand.”
Any rifles that had lowered snapped up as General Carsickle moved around the far side of the room.
“Camera!” he barked as one was quickly passed to him and he took multiple photos. “You can release him now.”
“He took the pistol of one of the guards and has it in a hidden holster. His wrists are broken.” With that, Salchar backed up and rolled so he faced the floor, away from the shadow leader, his hands spread out. Three guards pounced on him and secured his arms with triple cuffs.
“He killed the guards and he was about to kill me when you broke in!” The shadow leader sounded shaken as soldiers moved in on him, the pistol still lying at his feet. A soldier kicked it away before searching for and finding the second pistol. He held it back as someone bagged it.
Salchar went as straight as a board, pushing the three soldiers on top of him off as he flipped over. Blood came from his wound as, slowly, a round pushed out of his stomach. The skin quickly pulled together as he settled down, clearly exhausted.
“The hell was that?” someone asked Yasu, who was unable to see them because of her head being pressed into the floor.
“Hellfire. His battle suit must have activated it because he was injured.”
“Get them in secure holding cells until we know what the hell is going on. Update our fleet liaison,” Carsickle said. “Also, have someone look into the shadow leader’s affairs.”
“You can’t do that, General, without a permit from the council of judges.”
“If you will remember, you enacted the war accords. With that, I am able to motivate and use any resource to know the intention of the enemy. Thus, I don’t need to ask the council of judges. Secure him as well.” With that, he walked out as they were all frog-marched to holding cells with the shadow leader demanding that Carsickle be replaced and reprimanded and he be released.
None listened to him as he was thrown into his cell.
“Sorry about this all, Yasu,” Salchar said, still clearly physically drained.
“I didn’t marry a man who wouldn’t fight for what he believed in.” She thought she saw a glimmer of a grin as they were tossed in separate cells.
What Was Broken Can Come Back Stronger
When someone opened the door, I actually dreaded it.
“Just a bit more.” I rolled over on the floor in an attempt to block out the light.
“Ahem.”
I looked up at them, finding General Carsickle. With a sigh, I pushed myself to the wall and rested against it. “So, what did you find?”
“He was a Syndicate operative through and through. We were able to find communication devices and links to other groups, which were brought down with the information from him. Also, one of the guards made it and when he woke up, he was able to corroborate what happened.”
I nodded along as Carsickle looked distinctly uncomfortable.
“I personally am ashamed at what has happened. I offer you my apol
ogies. I also offer the apologies of the Chaleelian government. The governor wishes to talk with you at the earliest convenience to talk about Chaleel and the Free Fleet’s path from here.”
I yawned as I picked myself up, looking at my cut battle suit leg from losing my leg, the rips from battle and the bloody hole from being shot. Oddly enough, nothing hurt; even with the Hellfire, it was usual to have some residual pain.
Though from my tiredness of not having my constant infusions of Wake-Up, I was left zombie-like.
“Do you need anything?”
“Some water?” I pulled my hair back as Yasu was walked out of her cell and quickly came over to me.
“Of course.” He turned to a guard, who grabbed a bottle from his belt. “We can return you to your tank.”
“No worries. I’m staying here for the duration,” I said.
“I’ll stay too,” Yasu said as Carsickle guided us back to the command center.
***
Yasu watched as James walked back out into the command bunker, working the room like a pro. With nothing more than a smile and a few comments, everyone in the command center relaxed.
She sat in a chair to the side, watching as everyone he talked to seemed to brighten. She talked with the guards who had been posted with her about their tactics and weaponry.
The day turned to night as Yasu and James were escorted to a single room and a shared bed. For the first time in months, they were alone in a bedroom. Yasu didn’t say anything as she dropped onto the bed and got comfortable.
James sat on a seat, his eyes becoming unfocused as he used his implants, his mouth moving as he communicated with ships and the ground forces.
Grumbling, Yasu got out of bed.
He looked at her, puzzled.
“You get some sleep. I have first watch. If anything happens, I’ll tell you.”
“Well, I have—”
“I’m not going to offer twice,” Yasu said dangerously.
James nodded.
“First, take a shower.”
“Yes, ma’am.” James found the head and took a quick shower.
Yasu watched as he emerged from the shower, wearing only a towel, his loose hair covering his left eye. The rest of his body glistened, showing off the muscle that covered his body. There were scars visible. She hissed as she saw the one from where she’d stabbed him and the one across his leg.
“What?” he asked as he was getting into bed.
“Why did you have that scar put back on?” she asked.
“Well, we might not have rings but this connects me to you. You will always be my wife and this proves it.”
“Get some sleep; don’t know when something will happen,” Yasu said. Confusion filled her behind her mask. She brushed it aside as he put the towel aside, making her whip her head to the door in embarrassment.
His lazy two-finger salute went unseen as he climbed into bed.
She monitored the goings-on of the Free Fleet for a while before she watched him as he slept. I wish someone else could watch the damned door. The bed looks much more comfortable. Startled by her own thoughts, she quickly went back to studying the door and her reports.
***
I woke slowly, actually having time to wake up as I looked around the room. Yasu was barely keeping her eyes open and light was streaming through the windows.
I brought my implants online. Seeing the time, I jumped out of bed. Yasu dropped to a combat stance.
“It’s been eight hours!”
“You needed it.” Yasu got to her feet and yawned before quickly looking away. “Clothes might be a good idea.” She sighed angrily.
“Ah.” My new body made me constantly forget when I wasn’t wearing clothes. I beat a hasty retreat to the bathroom, putting on the battle suit and the leg section.
“All of the Syndicate forces in orbit have been taken. The ground forces likewise. Takahashi led a night raid and finished off the last Syndicate stronghold. We’re having our Sarenmenti try to convince their brethren of the truth, with limited results. As it’s not safe to let them go, it’s been suggested that we take them to Parnmal station for a term of service,” Yasu briefed me as I returned to the room.
“The factory has begun working on the elevators. The Chaleelians are asking to trade their three corvettes and destroyer for two corvettes and cruiser. They want something immediately in their system patrolling. I looked at the specs of the ships—they’re better than what we have. They’re going to need work and they haven’t been used in a generation, so we need to get Eddie to kick-start all of them. Though, it’s still three more ships.”
“First, it’s your turn to take a shower—it’s real water.”
She studied me for a second.
“Git!”
She was quickly in the bathroom, shutting the door as I began to pace and thought. I contacted Rick as I waited.
“I heard about the trade. I want you to go over the numbers, but I’ll leave it to you to okay or nix it,” I said.
“All right, I’ll have a decision shortly. Also, the Chaleelian’s new governor is in place and wants to extend his apologies to you personally and announce a partnership with the Free Fleet in stopping the Syndicate threat,” Rick said.
“When?”
“This afternoon.”
“Great. Have we had any response with the recruiting drive?”
“Yes, limited so far, but I have no doubt it will pick up. Most people have signed up for sleep training on ways to fix the elevator. Also, farming and general space classes have picked up.”
“That’s good but doesn’t really help us,” I grumbled.
“I think it does. There are millions of people volunteering for the elevators and more are planned than before. Though, those will dry up and people will be looking for work. The Avarians are still making their elevator, which is going at a snail pace, and then we need to interlink asteroids. The same thing with the station and the docks,” he said.
“It will make them have to go to other places to make money, create connections with other systems, and bring the systems together. Plus, with the space engineering, we could use them for Parnmal projects, thus taking the people we need for the fleet back and helping with our manpower issues. Rick, you genius,” I said with a real smile for the first time in weeks.
“We’ll talk later,” I said as I heard the shower turn on.
“Sure thing, boss man,” he said.
“Now, when are we going back to the fleet?” Yasu asked from the shower.
“Today. Now that the threat has lifted, we need to communicate with Monk and ready ourselves for the next leg of our journey.” The water didn’t even turn off as Yasu put her head around the door.
“You don’t mean?” A shocked look with a hint of anticipation appeared on her face.
“Next stop—Earth!” I said with a grin.
Time to Take Back What’s Ours
I wore a new battle suit, with Yasu beside me as the governor and I shook hands. We’d been talking for the last four days. The first recruiting ship, a massive hauler, had made its jump in-system the day before. We had twelve thousand eager recruits to go back to Parnmal and supplies that the fleet badly needed coming in.
“Armored Marine Commandos. Preeeesent, ARMS!” Henry bellowed. Weapons were snapped upward and then grasped in a synchronous movement. I felt nothing but pride in my chest at the display of the fifteen thousand commandos and three thousand Avarians.
I gave them my two-finger salute.
“Retaaaaaain, ARMS!” Henry bellowed again. “Paraaaaaade, dis—missed!”
They all turned, their boots falling as one with a thunderclap as they marched out. Each step sounded like a rail cannon firing. When they reached the exit of the stadium we were in, they broke down, grinning, smiling, and yelling to one another. No doubt happy with the three days’ leave I’d given to them.
“Damn, they do look good.” The governor looked out at them with me.
“They
fight better than they look.” I looked out over the commandos. I could pick out the humans out of the mass, their armor with different joints than the Sarenmenti, smaller bodied than the Kuruvians and not the printed and toughened battle suits of the Avarians.
Together we’d gone through recruitment and training. We’d saved two planets, taken a station, and pulled a fleet from nothing. We’d freed other races and brought others from the brink of destruction. The Syndicate would come with enough time. There was nowhere to run but we would fight them, tooth and nail—side by side, we would. First, we needed to free our own worlds and gather more allies. We’d need everything in the oncoming war.
***
Thank you for taking the time to purchase and read the first tale of the Free Fleet. I hope that you enjoyed your adventures with Salchar, Yasu, and the misfits who make up the Free Fleet.
The Free Fleet continues with Coming Home.
POSTSCRIPT
I look forward to reading your reviews. As a self-published author, reviews and shares help me keep writing. If you want to know more about the Free Fleet and my other series, come on over to:
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BOOK 2
Coming Home
Check out http://michaelchatfield.com/books/free-fleet-series-map/ for a full map of the Free Fleet universe.
Misunderstandings
Yasu was confused, and not in a way that she could understand very well. First, it had to do with James “Salchar” Cook. A year ago, she would’ve liked nothing more than to see him fail. They had both been gamers, Yasu a traditionally trained fighter whose father created a popular video game that reacted to bodily movement input.
Free Fleet Box Set 1 Page 48
