Guard at the Gates of Hell (Gladius Book 1)

by George Olney

  Sergeant First Class Steel nodded judiciously. "I see, Lieutenant. An excellent way to make your point. Perhaps it needed making. I also see you reserved the range, since we're the only ones here. May I ask if you discussed your plans with the Captain prior to this little change to the century training schedule for today?"

  Shana began to get that sinking feeling that said "You just screwed up". She rallied gamely. "Sergeant, I checked the schedule and there was only weapons and equipment maintenance on it for today."

  "Which we will still have to perform to standard, Lieutenant. It's also very, very necessary since we're betting our lives on that equipment. Having lost nearly two hours at this drill, the platoon will have to work several hours overtime to make it up."

  By now Shana was red faced with embarrassment at the way her little gesture had backfired. Just to make things worse, Sergeant Steel added, "Can the Lieutenant think of what Captain Samson might have to say when he discovers that you've made an unauthorized change to the training schedule of one quarter of his century?"

  The Lieutenant could, in fact, imagine just that. The sinking feeling hit bottom with a thud. "I'd better go see the Captain, hadn't I?"

  Sergeant First Class Steel favored his brand new single pip Lieutenant with the sort of glare one gives a puppy that's just crapped on the carpet. "The Sergeant would suggest the Lieutenant do just that. As soon as possible."

  Shana resisted the powerful urge to snap to attention. "I'll be on my way, Sergeant. Uh, return to the platoon. I'll be back with you as soon as the Captain's finished."

  Sergeant Steel relented enough to nod grim faced approval. Then he added before his new officer could head for the Century CP at a dead run, "Two points, Lieutenant. First, keep in mind it's easier to get forgiveness than permission, so you'll probably survive what's coming. It's what you richly deserve, but I expect you'll survive it. Second, talk over any more brainstorms with your senior decurion. That last precaution might avoid your next ass chewing."

  Shana nearly came to attention this time. "Aye, Sergeant First Class. Can I go?"

  Sergeant Steel didn't bat an eye. "Dismissed, Lieutenant. And I'm supposed to be the one asking you." He watched her head off at top speed, smiling slightly.

  #####

  The smiles, grins and laughter were much more in evidence over beers in the Legion Sergeant Major's quarters later. "What did Samson do with her?" that worthy asked.

  Steel grinned again. "Took a long bloody strip off her then had some real revenge. She's now the Century Training Officer. Schedules and lesson plans, among other things."

  The Sergeant Major winced. "Ouch! The only job worse is weapons inventories."

  "She's got that one, too. At least until Lieutenant Tobias comes back from detached duty and goes back to being Supply Officer."

  The five very senior decurions sitting around the room all laughed. Taking a swig from his beer bottle, the Sergeant Major shook his head. "Well, she'll learn. Make sure the Training Decurion doesn't go all dumb with her. She still has other things to do."

  Steel smiled. "Oh, she'll learn. Fast, I think. And Staff Sergeant Sheen won't dump it all on her. He'd better not. Besides, I think she'd catch on to him even if I didn't. She's good, but she needs trimming down every once in a while, like any single pip.

  "Actually, running the blade combat course was a pretty good idea. The boys liked her, but they still saw her as something like a sister instead of an officer. That could have been distracting. For one thing, they might have been more concerned with protecting her in a fight than doing their jobs. I think she's succeeded in killing that notion."

  The Sergeant Major nodded. "Double hit. Taught your platoon something and taught herself something at the same time. She and the boys will remember this morning."

  Thinking about his now very chastened brand new Lieutenant, Steel nodded as he took a swig of beer. He also thought about the way the men were now a lot more normal around her, less like they were walking on eggs. "Oh, I can guarantee both parties will remember today. Better now than when we take on the Emperor. She'll be a good one by that time."

  From the depths of his long experience, the Sergeant Major voiced another piece of decurion wisdom. "Lord Above, what single pips won't do."

  He held up his bottle in wry salute. "Bless the children."

  "Bless the children." All of them held up their bottles in reply then broke into laughter.

  #####

  Shana stretched out long bare legs and lay back in the pool lounger to relax. Like everyone else around the huge base pool, she was clad only in her issue khaki swimsuit. Admittedly, the one piece suit covered more of her than the tiny bits of cloth or the body paint she used to wear at various private pools in Beauregard, but she liked the way the suit showed her figure. Chalk it up to two years with the Victrix.

  She liked the short swimming trunks issued to the men even more, since they covered less. The guys were all around two measures in height, plus or minus, and in superb condition. Made for great eye candy. She reflected that the Corps considered the pool, by custom, as a rank free zone where the usual restrictions were off. A pretty good safety valve for people that led such structured lives. Like she now led.

  She sighed. However, there was one problem. Eye candy or not, the guys all knew her and considered her just one of the boys, or maybe a sister. Dammit. It had been a while. Imin was her last man, and that was over two years ago. Dammit, again.

  May as well lie back, drink some beer and read like she'd been doing for the last couple of hours. That was what she was here for, anyhow. After her first enervating week with her own command, she needed the break Down Days One and Two gave her - another Corps safety valve. Still, it would be nice to spend it with a guy. Not one of the kids, but a man her own age or older, maybe. Someone with a little grown up experience.

  She heard someone call her name and looked around. It was Tonya Whelk, another single pip from her OCS class, with three other girls, all in their own swimsuits. "Hiya, tall and flat," Tonya said with a grin, waltzed up and plopped on the lounger next to her. The other three found chairs and composed themselves in a variety of comfortable postures around her. It looked like her solitary pool relaxation was over for the immediate future and she was at the center of a small crowd. Oh well.

  Shana sniffed in a superior manner. "Listen you, I'll have you know your horizontal measurements are the same as mine. I was merely blessed with twenty or so more vertical centimeasures so as to put all my dimensions into proper proportion. Introduce me, short stuff."

  Tonya grinned again and waved at the other three. "Julie Dass, Bett Whate, and Tana Reed. Good friends of mine."

  "We all wanted to meet you," Tana popped up in chirpy tones. She leaned forward with an eager expression. "What's it like commanding all those men?"

  "Tana!" Julie scolded. She shook her head and smiled at Shana in a friendly fashion. "Ignore her. She just has one thing on her mind."

  "Hey!" Tana said in aggrieved tones. "You transferred here for the same reason I did. All these unattached guys."

  Julie blew out a disgusted breath. "Tana, some of us can say two sentences without mentioning men. I also came here because they were rebuilding Support Command. That's a pretty good opportunity in anyone's book."

  Bett smiled and piped up, "Listen to Mother and behave, Tana!" She also smiled at Shana. "I'm also happy to meet you, by the way, and no, I'm not as salacious as Tana."

  Shana smiled back. "Well," she said in conspiratorial tones, "I can tell you the boys think about girls the same way girls think about boys. More so, actually."

  "They do?" Tana lit up like a searchlight. Julie shook her head sadly at Tana again and favored Shana with a "What can you do?" expression.

  Shana found herself enjoying the rapid fire back and forth, not to mention the laughter and occasional giggle from Tana or Bett. Girl talk like this was fun and comfortable. She joined in, shooting lines at all four and catching a few zingers i
n reply. "Hey," Bett finally said, "we're doing all this talking and I'm totally without a beer. Who goes?"

  Julie said, "You brought it up - you go get 'em. Besides, it's your turn to buy. Canteen's on the other side of the pool, girl." Julie was apparently the group's unofficial leader, judging from the "Mother" crack. She was also a little older than the other three, nearly Shana's age. From her look, she also had a fair degree of common sense and maturity. Shana decided she'd like to know her better.

  Bett was back shortly, carrying three beer bottles. Three more were carried by a young male Gladius about her age wearing a big grin. Bett distributed bottles to the four women in the chairs then waved cheerily. "So long, guys. Got a swim date. Don't wait up."

  Tana pouted as the two strolled off. "Some people have all the luck. I should have gone for the beer."

  "Tana," Julie said ominously, "if you don't cool down, I'm going to pour this beer on you."

  "Don't waste it!" Shana and Tonya both cried then laughed at Tana and Julie's expressions. Shana continued, "We'll just toss her in the pool, I'm sure someone will rescue her."

  Tana brightened. "Hey, that's an idea." That broke everyone up again and they settled down for a good gossip/talk session. After a few minutes, Julie left Tana and Tonya to their own conversation, took a sip of beer, and asked Shana, "Seriously, girl, what in the Lord Above's Name made you want a combat command?"

  Shana took a drink of her own beer and shrugged. "It was something I wanted, and I thought I could do it. It's only been a week, but things seem to be working out." After a really painful ass chewing, she thought. She'd learned from that little goof. She wasn't ready to discuss the effect her ancestry had on wanting a combat command just yet, either. On the other hand, Julie looked like someone she could talk to once they got to know each other better.

  Julie shook her head. "Must be because you're a recruit, not born to the Corps. Of course, I've noticed the boys treat you differently than the way they treat the rest of us girls. I guess that makes it easier."

  Shana made a face. "That makes it easier to command a platoon, all right." She sighed. "On the other hand, I wouldn't mind it if someone not under my command happened to notice I'm a woman."

  Julie nodded in an understanding fashion. "Amen. After I got over losing my first husband, I spent a while wishing someone would realize I was more than a widow. I know widowhood is something that happens to most women in the Corps, but I was ready to start over. I just couldn't find the right guy. That really was one reason I came to the Victrix. I just don't want Tana to broadcast it." She grinned. "The hunting's great here. I'll bet you find a guy soon enough."

  Shana's reply was lost when Tana said in an urgent, low voice, "Hey guys, look on the other side of the pool. That's the Legate! You know, he's not half bad looking."

  Shana looked where the girl was indicating with a nod of her chin. It was Legate Athan, all right. He was just as toned as his men, a fact made obvious by the lack of any clothing but his swim trunks. A few more scars than most, clean limbed and muscular, older than Imin, but there was a big difference between the two. The Legate had the confident, easy air of a man that was mature enough to know himself and comfortable with the fact. Imin was missing that confidence. In fact, Imin was kind of juvenile in some ways. Shana considered the Legate's confidence very sexy. Looking at him as a man for the first time, she found him extremely attractive. Tana was right, he wasn't half bad looking.

  But he was the Legate! On the other hand, there wasn't any rank at the pool, was there? She also thought of what Sergeant Steel said to her. It was easier to get forgiveness than permission. Why not? Why the hell not? She had a few other thoughts in that mode as she watched him stride easily over to the canteen's poolside bar.

  Suiting action to thought before she could chicken out, Shana put down her empty beer bottle and got up. "Guys," she said, "I think I need another beer."

  Julie was following Shana's intent look, and apparently her thoughts. "Go for it, girl."

  Then she bounced up out of her chair and grabbed Shana's arm. "If you don't tell me everything later I'll kill you," Julie whispered fiercely. Then, just as fiercely, "Good luck."

  As Shana walked around the pool to the canteen on the other side, her body language underwent a subtle change. Her normal military carriage and pace shifted to become a soft swaying stroll and anyone looking at her could see that here was a sophisticated, graceful, mature woman. Sexy as hell, too.

  She was certainly eye catching. The trooper detailed as canteen orderly glanced at Shana and froze for an instant. He was brought back to earth by a snarl. "Get your mind back on what you're doing, Legionnaire. Leave officers to their own business. Yours is getting the beer."

  The look from the senior decurion was enough for the trooper. He went back to work with a will. Having cleared up minor distractions, the selfsame senior decurion also glanced as Shana's approach, registered mental approval, and leaned against the bar to drink his beer.

  Legate Karl Athan was wondering what in hell he was doing at the pool, other than following the Sergeant Major's "suggestion". Pretty good suggestion, actually. He was working too hard lately, knew it, and coming here was a good way to clear his mind. This business about the Waltin incursion on Labatt, for instance. They were sending a whole brigade of the new Frontier Cluster troops to handle it, but that unit was unseasoned and needed a little backup for this kind of fight. Those crabs were hard to dig out once they got on the ground.

  For a moment, Karl idly wondered if this was the wave of the future. The Empire was falling apart and wolves were gathering to tear into the pieces. Something had to be done about that and the SOC was doing it. Orders were on the way and he was pretty sure what they said. The Valeria was tied up supporting the exploration effort and the other three legions had subversion teams scattered damn near everywhere between the Frontier Cluster and Central. That left the Victrix, which was currently underutilized. He had some contingency planning to do.

  His worries dissipated when he became aware of Shana's approach. She suddenly had his full attention, but he tried not to show it. It wouldn't do for his troops to see him goggle eyed. Grace, beauty, sensuality, and someone a little more grown up than most, single pip or not. Shana Ettranty, Karl decided, was a hell of an attractive woman. Not a girl, a woman. He turned away to face directly at the back of the bar, trying to figure out how to make an opening move and still maintain a cool detached appearance.

  "A beer, please, orderly," a soft voice said at Karl's elbow. He turned to look at the voice's owner and found himself not making eye contact. Out of habit, he was looking at the usual height for a Gladius woman, but Shana was a good bit taller. Well above his chin, in fact. Very interesting. So was the sight he'd glimpsed prior to raising his eyes. Shana was very nicely constructed, if a bit tall.

  "So, Lieutenant Ettranty," Karl opened the conversation as was his right, "how has your first week been with your platoon?" Keep it on professional matters for the opening moves.

  She gave him the relaxed easy smile of a woman that knew precisely what she was doing. "Challenging, Legate. Fun in spots, too. I'm enjoying this assignment and looking forward to when we get the chance for a full exercise."

  Karl reminded himself Shana was old enough to know how the game was played and mature enough to enjoy it. That was interesting and attractive. She was really a very exciting woman that knew exactly what was going on here... and apparently quite willing to help it along. He sipped his beer and judiciously replied, "Well, we're looking at a plan to ship a cohort at a time off planet for full field training. You'll be getting your exercise soon enough." Too late, he realized that last sentence could be taken several ways and winced, mentally.

  Shana gracefully let him off the hook. "I'll be happy to get the boys out in the field, Legate," she said with just enough warmth in her smile to show she registered his slip but wasn't reading anything special into it. "It's where I'd like to be, anyway."

 
Karl nodded, and they both smiled at each other for a few seconds, saying nothing. He broke the silence. "Shana, I think you can call me Karl when we're both off duty. I've been around a bit too much for tap dancing and I think you're past kid games too. Shall we cut to the chase?"

  Shana looked thoughtful for a moment. The offer of a first name had definite meaning among Gladii, one that meant they were headed to the next level. Then she grinned. "I've just realized I know how that expression is used, but not it's literal meaning. I'm a former journalist. I ought to know. Anyhow, Karl, I do believe you're right."

  Karl snorted. "Shana, you wouldn't believe how old it is, or where it came from in the first place. We use a lot of ancient odds and ends in the Corps."

  He took a sip of beer and looked at her over the bottle. "I have to get back to the office, unfortunately. A dragon's arrived and I have to slay it. Can I buy you dinner at the Club tonight?"

  Her smile was pleasant and knowing. He was right, she was past kid games. "I have friends here I should get back to, if you have to leave."

  She reached out and gently laid a hand on his bare arm. His skin tingled. "I think I'd like to have dinner with you. I also think I'd like to get to know you well. Meet you at twenty hours?"

  He nodded. "The time sounds right to me. I'll see you there."

  She nodded and strolled casually back to her new friends. Karl's eyes followed her, taking real enjoyment in her swaying walk and the flex and roll under the thin material of her swimsuit, not to mention the smooth muscle movements in bare areas like her back and legs. The whole picture was stunning and he was pretty sure Shana knew it. Finally, he had to let his breath out in a silent whoosh. That was quite a woman, single pip or not. The interesting thing, he thought as he finished his beer, was they both had a mature attitude about the world. That maturity made her damnably attractive. Of course it helped that she was a knockout, but the intangibles were really what attracted him.