The general raised his hand. “What about the scientists?” he asked. “Will they take up arms, or will they be noncombatants?”
Anath considered this for a moment. “There is no certain answer. The Arkana people have never really considered the idea that they would be attacked, so there’s no plan. However, they are most likely to feel sure that the soldiers will defend them and therefore will act as noncombatants.”
“Our goal is to subdue the citizens as much as possible without casualties,” the admiral chimed in. “We don’t want to raze those who aren’t fighting.”
“No, we don’t,” Anath agreed sadly. “But the soldiers will be woven in with them, and it may be impossible to avoid them all.” His icy blue eyes were filled with the sadness that also inhabited his voice.
“Here’s the plan on the ground,” the general said, nodding to the army commander before continuing. “The Marines of Second Company under Colonel Dolan will have the sole purpose of taking the palace. Other companies will capture and hold strategic positions, such as the SAM sites, the power grids, and so on. Keep them from being used against us. The army infantry will have the task of covering the noncombatants and subduing what combatants they can.”
“Don’t forget the mindset of the soldiers,” Andy jumped in. “The soldiers on the planet may or may not act like the ones we’ve captured before. They may kill themselves to prevent being in captivity.”
“And they may kill themselves in acts of aggression,” Anath added. “Such as suicide bombers.”
There seemed to be a collective sigh before the aerospace corps commander jumped in. “The fighters will primarily be with the fleet in space, covering the Arkana ships we will encounter there. Some, however, will cover the shuttles between ship and surface. Make sure y’all reach the surface,” she said with the usual pilot attitude. It was a level of excessive confidence that, at that moment, Andy found comforting.
“We hope that the advance fleet will remove or distract as many Arkana ships as possible before we reach the planet,” N’dar went on, “but we can’t be assured of that. We must anticipate heavy orbital, aerial, and land-based defenses.”
“We’ll be ready, Admiral,” Anath said soberly.
Andy added, “We don’t really have any other choice.”
11
Everyone was pretty much wired for sound after dinner, so Andy and her squad decided to work off some of that energy in the ship’s gymnasium. It was on everyone’s mind that they would probably be doing this a lot. From Starbase Eclipse to the Arkana home world would take two weeks, at best possible speed.
That was a lot of time to sit, wait, and think…and they hadn’t even left the station yet.
“Is it a capital offense if I land a hit on the unit’s new master sergeant?” Dan said with a hint of his humor back as he lanced out at Anath with a right cross. The latter, however, was always the superior at hand-to-hand.
Anath’s pale hand shot out and pushed Dan’s punch away before he could pull it back. Slender but surprisingly strong fingers wrapped around the human’s wrist as Anath pivoted, putting his back to Dan’s stomach and then thrusting his elbow back. Dan’s breath wheezed slightly as Anath let him go, returning to a ready defensive stance.
“If you manage to land a hit on this master sergeant, I think you’ll get a medal,” Jade said with a grin.
Dan—her lover, which everyone knew about despite their considerable discretion—just gave her a pointed look. She waved. He shook his head. “I get no respect around h—” He didn’t get to finish his sentence before he was landing on his back, tossed over a slim Arkana hip.
“Don’t be distracted,” Anath said with a grin down at the lance corporal. “No matter how cute that distraction may be.”
“I’m dead now,” Dan said dryly. “I’m officially a non-combatant.”
Anath smirked and stepped over the taller man’s body. “Fine, then. Who’s next?”
Andy smiled over at the three of them, enjoying the banter. It was natural and genuine, which was a gem at a time like this. They all truly enjoyed one another’s company, which helped them bond as a fighting force.
It would also, she knew, make it far harder to handle if they lost anyone.
“You should work on your shooting,” Anallin said, even though the Hanaran wasn’t working on its own sharp shooting at that moment. Instead, it was moving through a rotation of basic fitness training: pull-ups, pushups, sit-ups, and so on. Although the second shortest member of the squad, its blue physique neared being the widest. Muscle was thickly corded over every inch of the Hanaran’s upper body.
“Why should I?” Dan asked as he took Jade’s hand and got to his feet. “We have you.”
Anallin shrugged—another human gesture it had picked up.
“You know what I miss?” Jade said. “Sunsets. I don’t mind shipboard life, but sometimes, I miss the pretty sunsets.”
“The stupid-funny thing is that the Arkana world has some gorgeous sunsets,” Anath said ruefully. “When the light hits the gleaming white buildings in the city just right, it takes your breath away.”
“Too bad we aren’t going there to sight-see instead of fight,” she said, walking over to Anath and putting her hand briefly on his arm. It was an almost sisterly gesture that certainly didn’t stick with military procedure very much, but none of them minded it.
“You should visit Hanara, Private Martin,” Anallin said, dropping down from the pull-up bar. “My people are not known for their care over aesthetic beauties, but having spent enough time around your people… Well, I can look back and realize that the setting of our dual suns makes for a most remarkable view.”
Jade flashed a smile. “After this, you can take me for a visit,” she said.
Anallin’s eyes clicked twice before its thin lips curved in its best approximation of a smile, given its facial features.
Roxanna walked in at that point, looking around at everyone before nodding once with approval for something none of them understood. “Did I hear that we’re taking a trip to Hanara?” she asked lightly.
“To see the sunset,” Anallin agreed.
“I’m game,” she said, crossing to the heavy bag and grabbing the tape. “I’ve never been to Hanara. Which is a little odd, since it’s one of the closest systems to Seler.”
Anallin tilted its head slightly, eyes clicking in a slow, rhythmic way. It was thinking. “Your people are…discomfited by my people. You are emotive, and we are…not. Not much, at the least. The Selerid never seem to be very comfortable around the Hanarans. With the exception of you and I, of course, Sergeant.”
“Of course,” Roxanna said with a warm smile.
Andy crossed the room and took the tape from her sergeant, helping wrap her knuckles with it. It was one of those things that was still very old-fashioned, but it worked, and what had they said about fixing things that aren’t broken…?
“Thanks, sir,” Roxanna said with a nod. She rolled her shoulders and moved in front of the bag.
“You look like you’re feeling better,” Andy commented, lowering her voice for a little bit of privacy. Anath and Dan started sparring again, with Anallin and Jade offering advice—pretty much all to Dan—in between discussing the planet of Hanara.
“I am,” Roxanna said. “This ship just took a little…adjustment. I found a quiet place to get some time in. I even met another Selerid.”
Andy smiled. She imagined it had to be hard for the non-human races in the ESS, since they didn’t have nearly as many of their own people as the human ones did. “Marine?”
“Pilot.”
“Exciting,” Andy chuckled. “Yet another name unpronounceable by anyone but you all?”
Roxanna chuckled in between her opening jabs. “Of course,” she said. “You know that our entire language turns your tongues into crinkles.”
“Quite the image,” Andy commented thoughtfully, shifting to hold the bag from swaying while her sergeant worked out. “
Although having heard and very, very briefly attempted to pronounce your name, it’s also accurate.”
“Dan said once that the first humans who met the Selerid people had to have surgery to fix their tongues after attempting to speak our names,” Roxanna said with amusement. “I think he was making up an exaggerated story for my amusement, but the truth is that I can’t swear to it that that’s the case. He might be telling a truth.”
“One never knows with Dan,” Andy commented lightly.
“No,” Roxanna agreed. “One never knows.”
12
It was late by the time Andy walked into her temporary quarters for the first time since setting foot on the Planet Breaker. She had to admit that she was feeling far less agitated than she had been when she arrived. Planning meetings were rarely exciting, but they offered a certain sense of order. There was comfort in that. Spending time with her squad, her friends, her family, was also comforting.
They all knew what was coming, but sharing that time and burning off energy together had been something they all needed.
Now, though, she had to try to sleep. She would have to be up early in the morning to start getting to work. The ship would be setting off for its tense two-week journey, and she had a full company to sort out and get into fine-tuned working order. It was no small task, but by now, she felt like she was up to it.
The room she’d be sharing with Anath was sparse, but it didn’t need to be more.
It had two bunks set into the wall, with personal belongings lockers to one side and two drawers underneath. There was a small bathroom to one side, as well as a very small desk and chair.
She noticed something else then, which she was pretty sure was not a standard quarters complement. There was a small shipping crate sitting on her desk. Very small, in fact, little bigger than what an old-fashioned letter might be in. Or a tablet.
Frowning, she went to the desk and looked at the crate. The inset screen listed her name as the recipient, but the rank was major. Someone had sent this before she had been promoted, which made sense considering how recent that promotion was. There didn’t seem to be any information on the sender, which immediately made her wary…but then she reminded herself that it would have gone through multiple levels of security before reaching her desk.
Andy pressed her thumb to the ID scanner. It buzzed, then beeped, and then the lock popped open.
There was a small data tablet inside, which she pulled out. This also took her thumbprint to activate. Once it had, she read the ID header of a civilian law firm. This made her even more confused, until she read the letter and realized that they represented the remains and estate of…
Her mother.
That information was enough to send her into momentary shock, and she stepped back until her calves hit the edge of the bunk, and then sat down hard with the tablet still in her hand.
It seemed like so long ago that her mother had died, but more than that, as far as she’d known, there really hadn’t been any business or estate to conclude. Her mother had died while in prison, and she’d been there for a while.
At the end of the letter from the lawyer, it explained that there was a sealed message from her mother to her specifically. It was meant to be opened immediately. The legalese made its origins unclear—whether it was meant to be sent to her before her mother died but wasn’t, or if it was only meant to be sent to her when her mother died—but it didn’t really matter.
It was here in her hands now.
And she couldn’t open it.
She must have sat like that for ten minutes before Anath came into the room and found her that way. He was next to her in an instant, immediately concerned. She held the tablet out to him. Once he’d read it, he frowned deeply. “What did she say?” he asked.
“I haven’t read it yet,” she admitted.
Anath just raised his snowy brows.
She grunted and took the tablet back, bringing up the second letter. She had to unlock it for the third time, and then she reluctantly read her mother’s words:
Andy,
I hoped this day would never come. Your father didn’t know how much I knew about him. I knew he hated humans. After he and I… Well. I learned things late. I wasn’t exactly my best then, anyway. I knew he had thoughts…but I hoped he wouldn’t act on them.
War is here, and it happened. You’re a Marine. You’ll be fighting him.
I wasn’t a good mother. I never really wanted to be a mother, so I didn’t know what to do with you. I couldn’t take care of myself, let alone a kid.
Maybe I can do one thing to help, however.
During the short time your father and I were together, if you can even call it that, I learned something about him. There’s a substance, seemingly common on Earth, that his people are…allergic to, is the best comparison. I bet you could use this against him…
The brother and sister sat and stared at the tablet.
Before signing off, Andy’s mother had listed the substance and described the reaction she’d witnessed.
“Can it be true?” Andy asked doubtfully, looking sidelong at Anath.
“It’s not impossible,” he said, confused. “I’ve never encountered it myself, but if she saw what she saw… Maybe it’s something on Earth from after the Arkana broke away. If we haven’t encountered it since, we couldn’t create a resistance to it.”
Andy frowned thoughtfully. “Wouldn’t he have done so after this happened?”
Anath shook his head slowly, doubtfully. “Maybe, or maybe not… I don’t know. Your mother seems to think he didn’t fully understand what it was. It can’t hurt to look into it. I could… I mean, they could try it on me.”
“No,” Andy snapped, punching him in the arm. “I’m not going to test a new weapon by trying to kill you.”
“I didn’t say kill me,” he replied, rubbing where she’d hit. “A tiny bit might be enough to see if the reaction is true, though.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “Isn’t it my body?”
“No, it belongs to me. I’m your commander,” she said, even though she knew that wasn’t actually right. Still, she didn’t want to see him risk himself like that. “But, I mean, we can at least bring this to sickbay. Let the medical and science people handle it… Right?”
“Right.”
13
The capital city gleamed on the horizon.
Andy found herself standing in the field again, but it didn’t feel the same as before, though if pressed, she would not be able to articulate the difference.
Beyond the city, the red-orange sun was setting. Apparently, Jade had found a way to influence her dreams. The thought made her smile as she saw the vibrant colors reflecting off the white buildings, just the way Anath had described. It was indeed a beautiful sight, and realizing that drew away the smile to be replaced with quiet sorrow.
Soon, these streets would be filled with the red of blood rather than sunset.
“Back for more already?” a smug voice said from behind her.
“You know I never choose to come here,” she replied without turning around.
There was a certain…perhaps it was irony to her statement, though she wasn’t sure if that was it. She just knew that she said she never chose to go there, and yet her body was on a ship purposefully headed there.
But there was a difference between dreams and reality.
“Maybe so,” he granted.
Andy could hear his footsteps as he drew closer. She didn’t turn to look at him, just catalogued his nearness.
“And yet, here you are. So what are we to do, Andrea Dolan?”
“You could beat the crap out of me some more, Dad,” she drawled. The red-orange hues were glittering along the city streets now. “You seemed to enjoy that one a lot the last time I was here.”
His footsteps came nearer, and his voice was louder. “I wouldn’t say that I enjoyed it,” he said, and he almost sounded sincere. “But you have made your stand very clear, as have I; thus, we are e
nemies, you and I. As such, what else are we to do?”
She shrugged casually. Some of it was affected, but some of it was real. “It’s my dreams. You could just, you know, get out of them.”
“Hmm,” he said with a soft grunt. “You seem to think I have any more power over this than you do.”
Now that was new.
Andy’s dark brows drew together as she finally turned to face him. She pursed her lips thoughtfully and let her dark eyes roam over his face. His skin, as pale as her brother’s, with the white hair and white brows and steely blue eyes. Everything that was exactly the opposite of her mocha skin, black hair, and black eyes. She looked like her mother, through and through, and could not see an ounce of her father in her.
The only thing she seemed to have inherited thus far was the Arkana resistance to things, which had been a benefit, admittedly.
“You look surprised, daughter,” he said with an arrogant smirk. “Did you think I was bringing you here to see me?”
“I wasn’t giving you too much credit,” she replied easily, although that was what she had thought. She tried to think back to the dreams she’d been having over the long, torturous months of this war… Had he ever said that to her? Given her that impression? If he had, was he lying then, or now?
The sad truth was, however, that she just couldn’t remember. There had been too much that had happened, and too many dreams to be lived through.
Lacing his hands behind himself, he began to pace a slow circle around her. “You have a smart mouth, just like your mother did,” he commented, his lips pursed slightly with obvious disdain even as he no longer met her eyes. He seemed to be contemplating the grass under his feet as he trampled it with his meandering.
Earth Space Service Space Marines Boxed Set Page 67
