Retribution

by Dave O'Connor

  “OK…Looks like we’re going home sooner than we thought.”

  Chapter 4. Assam 1830, 25 May

  Commander Rihan Kabel swept her long auburn hair back from her eyes, where it had fallen while she dozed off in the chair at the Alliance Army HQ. The hail from her husband, Dave Warner, had startled her. She blinked her eye lids forcefully and gave a slight shake of her head as she re-acquainted herself with her surroundings.

  “Yes Dave what is it” she asked.

  Dave gave her the abridged version and ended with “So you need to round everyone up and have them all aboard by 2100.”

  “Oh terrific. There’s just no rest for the wicked is there?”

  “Afraid not honey. I’m sending the remaining shuttles back down to Niku. Use the one’s you have there now to load up from Assam. Expedite the extraction of the droids. The sooner we get them aboard the sooner we can close down the forward section of H deck.”

  “What about the wounded down here?”

  “We take them with us if they can be moved. I’ll ask Mary to send medical teams down to assist.” Dave made a mental note to himself to ask 1st Lt Mary Chernside, his ships senior medical officer, to arrange for this. “I’ve just informed Kirkland. He’s not too happy about losing us. I have to arrange with Reinna to take over security of the Kunter. Got to go honey.”

  Rihan begrudgingly started to think of all the things that needed to happen to extradite everyone. She called LCmd Jim Bucknell, commander of the 30th Independent Marine Company, and told him to round up everyone in Niku and that included the 1st Droid Bn. The droids would use their own pods to move back to the Resolute but the 30th Coy would need the light and heavy shuttles.

  “One of the shuttles will have a mobile med bay Jim” said Rihan. “Make sure you extract anyone who can move from the hospital.”

  “Does that include the Commodore?” asked Jim.

  “No, even if he can be moved he’ll want to stay here anyway. Oh and make sure you hand over responsibility for securing the spaceport to the local authorities.”

  “Understood Maam. Consider it done.”

  “Sue, this is Rihan.”

  “Yes Rihan.”

  “You still at the hospital?”

  “Yes but Art’s asleep now. What’s up?”

  “We have to mount up and leave right away; including all wounded who can be moved. Mary will be arriving soon with a med shuttle. Can you please ask the medical staff there if it is safe to move Art and Buster?”

  “Oh gee. Why the rush?” Rihan explained. “Damm. OK, give me a few minutes and I’ll find out.”

  LCmd Sue Chalker caught her reflection in the window of the hallway outside of the recovery ward. She instinctively brushed her fawn coloured hair with her fingers; though she knew it would do little to hide the strain on her face. Her hazel eyes looked weary, though the relief of knowing that Art would survive and that he wouldn’t lose his left arm had helped somewhat.

  She found the surgeon trying to eat his dinner in his office. He looked up with a full mouth but his eyes said ‘yes?’ After listening he stood up, unceremoniously dumped the cafeteria meal in the nearby bin and said “wait here.”

  A few minutes later he came back. “Your husband can be moved but not Sergeant Williams.”

  “Are you sure it will be OK to move Art?”

  “We’ll put his arm in a special cast. Your med team will know how to secure him and they will ensure the necessary drips are maintained. He’ll be OK.”

  “And Sgt Williams can’t be moved?”

  “It’s not advised. He’s lost a lot of blood. He’s still on transfusion. He could easily relapse or go into shock. So no.”

  “Thank you doctor, the med team will be here directly.”

  “I better go and see to the arrangements.”

  Sue hailed Rihan and reported back. She ended with “Will you let Kali know?”

  “Yes I’ll do it” said Rihan.

  “Yes Maam” said Cpl Kali Chada, acting team leader in 2nd Pl, 30th Coy. “Anything wrong?”

  “Buster’s fine but the Resolute has to warp back to Polaris in the next couple of hours. Buster can’t be moved. So he’ll have to stay here till he recovers and we’ll make arrangements then for him to be shuttled back to us.”

  “Right” said Kali. There was a pause while she thought. “Any chance I could stay here Maam?”

  “Sorry Kali but no.”

  “I thought so. But it never hurts to ask.”

  “No it never hurts to ask. He’ll be well looked after here. It won’t be that long.”

  “That’s OK Maam. I understand. Thank you for letting me know.”

  After terminating the call, Rihan looked around the room she was currently in. Her pack and pulse rifle were leaning against the wall along with another pack and a sniper’s rifle, which belonged to Specialist (Spcl) Akos Salaman. Akos had been with Art and Buster and Jade when they took down Bane. It had been Akos who had actually killed Bane.

  “Akos” hailed Rihan.

  “Maam” responded Akos. He was eating.

  “We’re moving out. The shuttles will be here in fifteen.”

  “Plenty of time Maam. Excuse me” he said as he swallowed. “I’m just round the corner in the cafeteria. Do you want me to bring you something?”

  “No thanks Akos. I’ll get something back on board. Don’t forget your kit’s here. I’m going to say my goodbyes to the General.”

  “Give him my regards Maam” said Akos with a cheeky smile on his face.

  A smile came over Rihan’s face. “Will do Akos.”

  She found Harry Kirkland in the operations room. He was taking a call. He waved for Rihan to take a seat, which she did. After a minute he terminated his call and turned to Rihan. “So you’re off then?”

  “Afraid so Sir. I’m sorry to be leaving you so stretched.”

  “Regrettable, but we’ll cope. It’s been a pleasure working with you Commander. I and everyone here on Beta Phi want to thank you and your forces for the effort and sacrifice you have made. We won’t forget.”

  “Thank you Sir. I’ll pass that on.”

  “You and your husband are a formidable team.”

  Rihan smiled. “I think he’s the formidable one.”

  Harry Kirkland gave one of his rare smiles. “I stand by what I said” and he gave her a wink.

  Chapter 5. Resolute over Assam 2040, 25 May

  Whiskey 4 touched down on G deck bringing the final serial of troops from 30th Coy. The last to climb through the hatch was LCmd Jim Bucknell. He could not believe the reception.

  “Present Arms” ordered 1st Lt Tammy Jahir, the XO of 30th Coy. The troops were paraded into three ranks, dirty, tired and dishevelled. But they stood erect, proud of what they had achieved, what they had been part of.

  A smile appeared on Jim’s face as he returned the salute. He was genuinely touched by this honour. He scanned the faces of his troops and also caught site of Dave and Rihan off to the side. They were there but not upstaging this tribute.

  “Thank you all for this honour” he said “and thank you for your support. We all did this.” Jim paused to gather his thoughts and then continued. “I was proud of what we all did down there before I walked through that hatch. Now I’m a tad embarrassed. It’s late, we’re all tired and we all deserve a rest.” Jim looked to Dave. “With your permission Sir I’d like to declare a rest day tomorrow.” Dave nodded. “Company dismissed.”

  The troops grabbed their packs from where they were lined up and shuffled off the elevators. Dave and Rihan stayed till Jim appeared at the rear of the line.

  “Thank you Sir” said Jim.

  “Wasn’t my doing Jim. Tammy organised that. From what I hear, you deserved it and I’m grateful for your efforts.”

  Jim smiled. “We did good, didn’t we?”

  Dave smiled and patted Jim on the back, as they too shuffled forward.

  “We should hold a service, tomorrow shouldn’t we?
” asked Jim. “We lost some really good marines down there Sir.”

  “Don’t worry about that now Jim. It can wait till tomorrow. Get some sleep.”

  “I might get a feed first.”

  “Haven’t you eaten?”

  “No. We all had to drop everything and go.”

  Dave looked to Rihan who rubbed her tummy with a sad smile. “Leave it with me” said Dave. He then hailed 1st Lt Val Gomez, the ships quartermaster. “Val, most of the marines and shuttle crews haven’t eaten yet. Can you ensure the messes know?”

  “Sure thing Sir. Leave it with me.”

  “Aubrey” hailed Dave “we’re right to warp.”

  “Eye, eye Sir.”

  Chapter 6. Resolute to Polaris 2215, 25 May

  Rihan returned from the bathroom, with her long hair still a little damp and got under the covers of their bed. Dave turned out the light. They were lying on their backs. Dave felt the tender caress of Rihan’s hand on his. “Guess what?” she said. There was perkiness in the tone of her voice that surprised Dave, given how tired she had been when she came on board.

  “What?” asked Dave.

  “I had an awakening today.”

  Dave wasn’t sure he had heard her correctly. “A spiritual awakening?”

  “Yes” she said matter of factly.

  Dave sat bolt upright and turned on the light. “What… shaktipat?”

  Rihan also sat upright. “The one and the same. You won’t believe where and when it happened.” Her face was beaming now.

  Dave knew that look of rapture and he knew how it felt for he too had received shaktipat many years earlier. Somehow this news had washed away his fatigue. He smiled in anticipation. “Go on!”

  “It was at the spaceport in Assam when we heard the nuclear alarm. We had to run across the apron to Terminal 2, which had a basement. It was nothing but a mad race. I had no idea we would make it before the strike. I was racked with fear. It was Klaster all over again. I could hear that bloody klaxon, you know, the one that keeps waking me up in a sweat.” Dave nodded.

  “I started to panic but somehow I remembered your advice about repeating the mantra.” She looked at David with a real intensity, her big green almond eyes were opened wide. “So I started chanting it out real loud to drown out that klaxon. There I was running at full speed and chanting the mantra. By the time I got to the terminal I had my anxiety in check. I was still repeating the mantra but silently.”

  “Argha (2nd Lt Arga Kahn), bless him, shepherded us down into the basement. We were crammed in and I sat up against the wall opposite Emilio (WO2 Emlio Shavez). He looked really stressed but we locked eyes for a second and I smiled and he smiled back.”

  “And then I realised how calm I was. Not just calm, serene. Despite all the commotion and stress I felt terrific, completely at peace. At that moment I realised that this state of peace had been within me all this time and that it was and always will be with me. It was my true state, my true self.”

  “So I just closed my eyes and revelled in that contentment for a couple of minutes. I remember asking myself what the hell had just happened but there wasn’t time to dwell on that then.”

  “Oh you should do so now…”said Dave.

  But Rihan put her hand on his and interrupted him. “No wait there’s more.” Dave smiled and let her continue.

  “When I went to the hospital with Sue to check up on Art and Buster, I let Sue sit with Art and I collapsed in a chair out in the corridor. That’s when I contemplated what had happened.”

  “And?”

  “And so I did like you taught me, I posed the question and sat there with my eyes closed just focussing on my breath and the question.”

  “What was your question?”

  “Why was I able to be so content?”

  “And?”

  “Well the words ‘inner courage’ came up and then the penny dropped and I realised what you had been trying to say to me months ago.”

  “About what?”

  “About how your true self has an infinite amount of inner courage and how that courage can make you content no matter what is happening.”

  At this stage Rihan was beaming and she put up her hand to stop Dave interrupting. “And then, and then I realised that if I was so content then I must have reached that state of the true self. I was sitting in the bloody hospital with people fighting for their lives and there I was ecstatic with the realisation that yes ‘I am that’. It was wonderful Dave. Sue came out and found me there in that state. She couldn’t believe I was on such a high” said Rihan and laughed.

  Dave was so pleased at her good fortune. He had hoped for this moment since he started sharing meditation with her a year ago. His eyes began to water with joy and they hugged. He kissed her on the forehead and then stared into her eyes. “Wonderful” he said. After a minute in each other’s arms, they parted. Dave turned out the light and they got back under the covers.

  They lay close and content, till weariness claimed its hold.

  In the next cabin, Sue Chalker, despite her tiredness, was finding it hard to sleep. She too was under the covers of her bed. She swept her hand in an arc across the space next to her but found no warm body like she usually did. She prayed Art would be peacefully asleep down in the med bay on E deck. He had been so restless an hour ago when she was down there.

  She remembered Mary Chernside’s reassurances but somehow she remained anxious. It was only a few weeks ago they had been on their honeymoon. She cursed Bane, rolled over and closed her eyes.

  In another cabin further down the officer’s quarters on B deck, 2nd Lt Chase Hanlon, the deputy operations officer, extracted himself from the embrace of 2nd Lt Kat Holbrook. She was fast asleep. It had been a very stressful day for her. He thought of how he had nearly lost her and winced as he repositioned the covers over her naked body.

  He was still coming to terms with the realisation that he had fallen for this woman only a couple of days ago. They were chalk and cheese in many ways. He was from a blue chip establishment family and she was the terrier who had struggled to get an education and to become a fighter pilot.

  He was still dog tired but he had to take over from Aubrey as watch officer. He got dressed as quiet as he could in the dark, with only the light from his communicator to see by. As he did his belt up he glanced at the beautiful sight of Kat’s face. He was grateful he had found her and that she had survived today’s battles. He knew the risks she faced each time she entered combat. ‘It all could end at a moment’s notice’ he thought to himself. He knew there was little he could do about that but he vowed to cherish each and every moment they could spend together.

  Fifteen minutes later, Aubrey entered her cabin after completing her stint as watch officer. She had a smile of anticipation on her face as she glanced at the mirror. They were on their way back to Polaris and no doubt would be calling into Butros Alia to pick up replacement droids.

  She stripped off her uniform in lightning fashion and stepped into the shower in her ensuite. As the hot water ran over her body and she washed herself she thought of how wonderful it would be to have his hands touching her. Yes it was still a fantasy but she was determined to make it a reality. She was determined to seduce Brennon Warner.

  Chapter 7. Resolute to Polaris 0230, 26 May

  Art felt the Arturian panther dig its incisors into his left arm. “Aaargh!!” he yelled.

  His scream woke Sue, who had dozed off in the chair next to his bed in Ward 2. She instinctively reached out for his right arm, to touch him and reassure him.

  It was pitch black but Art could feel another beast grab his right arm. He shook his arm violently to fend it off. He could feel the panther clamping down on his left arm. He had to stop it. He punched as hard as he could with his right arm at the black beast. He heard a scream but still the beast had him in its jaws.

  Specialist Wayne Hozaire, the male nurse trying to administer the intramuscular injection, reeled against the wall and collap
sed to the floor. “Doctor” he yelled as he stood back up and clamped his big hand on Art’s chest, pinning him to the bed. Sue grabbed Art’s right hand and also called out “Mary!”

  Art, his head throbbing and swirling from the narcotics, felt trapped. The beasts were upon him now. This would be it. He heaved his chest and tried to rock his head upwards. The beast on his chest though was very strong. “Aagh!” he yelled again as the panther bit harder. He felt weaker, too weak to resist now. ‘So this is how it ends’ he thought. He closed his eyes and was lost to the darkness.

  Mary caught her breath. “There. He’ll be OK. He’ll rest now” she said. “Are you OK Wayne?”

  Wayne felt his ribs. “Bloody hell, what a punch.” He fell back onto the chair. He knew he would have one hell of a bruise there by dawn.

  “Give me a look Wayne” said Mary. She lifted his jacket and examined his rib cage. “You’re lucky – bruised but not broken. We’ll squirt some jungle juice on you and you’ll be as right as rain.”

  Wayne gave a shrug.

  “I’m so sorry” said Sue.

  “Not your fault Maam” replied Wayne, his breath slowing to its normal pace. “It’s the narcotics!”

  “Come on” said Mary to Wayne “we’ll fix you up. He’s going to be fine now.” Wayne nodded and stood up. Mary turned to Sue. “No need for you to lose any more sleep Sue. Go back to your cabin. I’ll call you if there is any development.”

  Sue reluctantly agreed. She was incredibly tired. ‘Look after him’ she prayed silently as she made her way to the elevator.

  Chapter 8. Resolute to Polaris 1230, 26 May

  Dave and Rihan entered the officer’s mess for lunch and tagged onto the line waiting to be served. Most had just come from the service conducted in the A deck briefing room. It had been a good service thought Dave. He appreciated Jim’s heartfelt eulogy for the marines he had lost down on Beta Phi.

  1st Lt Rose Joslen’s eulogy for the lost pilots was surprisingly moving. Dave found it surprising because in the short time he had come to know her she always struck him as a matter of fact type a person. But her insight into the character of the lost pilots showed more depth and complexity than Dave had first appreciated.