by JA Huss
My giant face is plastered up next to Tier's.
"… due to testimony given several days ago, the former captain of the Aves 039, Raubtier, was cleared of one count of insubordination in the field. The second insubordination, failure to kill a target – referring to Junco Coot, the Sibling currently fighting her way through the General Fledge on Amelia – is still pending. Sources within Justice say they have no current plans to call her back for additional testimony and some have even accused her of manipulating the drugs and beating the detectors.
"In related news, another video feed has been filtered from Earth from the now infamous ex-Mountain Minute reporter Selia Manchen. Manchen went missing back in January after the Aves teams were evacuating when the war broke out. She later went on to join up with the Subjective armies. She's been an outspoken mouthpiece for Subjack ever since. This latest feed comes out of the Tetons where the armies are lying low, waiting for some undisclosed signal."
The images on the screen cut away and there's Selia wearing the same battered uniform as the one I saw her in earlier. She's interviewing soldiers and hunches down to a guy sitting on the ground, knees bent as he laces up his boots. "The system is watching, tell them what you're fighting against."
"The shadow government they have going here," is all he says.
"Explain. Most people who will see this don't understand what that is."
He stops what he's doing and looks up in the camera, straight into my eyes. "You've been lied to your entire life. It's not real," he says, swiping his hand around in the air. "The governments, the people in charge – they make the rules that you," his finger stabs at the camera, "have to follow. But they don't. I'm tired of it. I came all the way from the Western Utopia to fight here and I don't care what happens to us, they're going down."
Then his attention is back on his boots and Selia moves on.
She repeats this several times, and while each soldier says something a little different, they all have the same underlying theme. Lies. Manipulation. Fed up.
The screen cuts back to Tier's trial and I watch them question him under the drugs. When they ask him why he didn't kill me, he's silent for a long time. I hold my breath, afraid of what he'll say.
"She's one of us."
I let the air out and notice there are a lot of people around me now. I catch the eyes of a tall girl sitting in a chair near the couch and recognize her as one of the ones I almost killed at the end.
She shrugs at me. "No hard feelings, right?"
I nod. "Sure."
"Are you really from Earth?"
Everyone crowds in now and I look around to try and get a sense of the mood. Interested, maybe a little too interested. But no hostility. "Yeah. I was born and raised there."
"Are you really one of the Seven?"
I laugh. "Well, I guess it depends. I am one of seven individuals created in the Rural Republic with Aves genetics. But if you're asking me if I'm part of that myth you all have, the answer is no."
Another kid pipes up, not one I recognize, but he's tall as well. Darker like Arel. His shoulder-length black hair is wet and hints at curls. He reminds me of Tier. "So, they gonna kill him for disobeying, you think?"
I search his face to look for hidden meaning, but can't find any deception. "No. They are not."
He raises his eyebrows at me. "Well, I hate to break it to you, Junco, but they seem convinced otherwise."
I let out a breath. "Yeah, but…" I trail off for a second. "I'm not done fighting for him yet. You'll see."
"What is it like on Earth?" It's the little girl from the maze.
I smile at her and she sits down next to me, her hair a mess of wet ringlets and the smell of soap covering up the smell of SEAR death that still lingers in my nose. "When there's no war, it's pretty nice. Where I lived there was grasslands filled with wild animals and blue skies during the day and black skies at night. You don't have to go to an observatory to see the stars, either. You just walk outside and look up."
She grins up at me. The fearful face from the maze is gone.
Another boy appears, about the same age as the dark kid. "Were you a soldier or something? On Earth, Junco?"
I nod. "Or something. Yeah, my father was a commander in the RR. I was an as–" I hesitate as I watch their eyes wait for me to finish. These kids are not soldiers, I remind myself. They are only here to try and save themselves. "I was a specialist in the field. A sniper."
All their mouths make an O shape as I get up. "Well, time for my shower now. See ya."
I pass Isec on my way and he smiles and I have trouble reconciling him as the kid I was strapping bloody night-vision goggles on an hour ago. In the showers I look around for Kush, but he's gone. I stand under the hot water and let it beat the death off me, then scrub my body down until I rub it raw and wrap myself in my towel to face the cubbies.
Junco, Aves 039, is overflowing with shit. I start pulling it all out and open one bag after another. Clothes, shoes, soap, shampoo, a brush, a reader, a com, food, and other little bits of crap that try and convince me they all care.
I want to put the bed clothes on and go to sleep, but I have a feeling I'll be called away for using the SEAR in the fight. So I dress in uniform and even lace up the boots nice and tight. I pocket the com and brush my long hair out until it is smooth. I'm not sure how, but I feel normal. I keep the food and then stuff the rest back in the cubbie before leaving the showers.
When I go back out almost everyone is over in the lounge area or in bed sleeping. I see Kush's head sticking up over the couch where I was earlier and walk that way. He's piled high with kids and I laugh and toss the food on the table nearby. He pushes Isec out of the way to make room and I slip in and rest against him.
Sigh.
And close my eyes.
Isten's voice draws me up from the depths of sleep. "What the fuck are you doing here, Junco? Playing house? Get the fuck up, we've got a meeting. Lucan wants to see the entire 039 immediately."
I sit up and rub my eyes. Isec and the little girl are sprawled out all over me and the rest of the dorm is quiet and still with weary fighters.
"What are you doing with these kids, Junco?" He paces back and forth, his heavy boots clunking on the tiles with each step. He looks a lot bigger and more intimidating than I remember from our poker game. His eyes shine yellow and target Kush. His wings go up slightly behind his shoulders in an offensive position. "And who the fuck is this guy?"
I push the kids off, get up and then walk away before he says something that will make me react. I'm just too tired. He trots to catch up with me and then keeps the pace so I have to trot to keep up with him. We walk outside and there's a flyer waiting.
"What's the meeting about?" I ask as we approach.
He huffs. "What the fuck do you think the meeting is about, Junco? You. They're always about you."
Chapter Twenty
It's bright outside and dark in the flyer, so it takes me a minute to see that everyone is crammed inside. I scoot in next to Rikan and Isten sits next to me. Braun is on the other side of Rikan slumped up against the window, not looking at anyone. Ashur is across from him, and then Mish, Arel, and Ryse.
No one says hi.
Fuck them.
I close my eyes and the rocking motion of the flyer lulls me to sleep. Several times Isten pushes me off his shoulder and Ryse kicks me when I start to snore, but I am too tired to care. I wake up when we stop and I'm sprawled out on the floor, their boots resting on me in various places.
Isten pulls me up and holds down a smile as I wipe the drool from my mouth.
I recognize Lucan's parking garage from the other night and everyone files through the doors into the building.
"What is this place?"
Arel is next to me so he answers. "Lucan's apartments."
"This is an apartment?"
"It's Aves headquarters too, so…"
Yeah, well, that explains everything, then. Thanks.
Th
ey take the stairs up several levels and I'm shuffling my feet and out of breath when I finally catch up with them. They start walking again, leaving me behind.
Assholes.
I turn the corner and bump into Ashur. "Sorry," I mumble. And keep walking. He stays behind me for the rest of the way. We meet up with the guys in the outer chambers of Lucan's offices. Some lady with no wings shows us into a conference room and says to wait.
The guys all take seats at the crescent-shaped table but I wait until Ashur points to the one next to him. "You're the nine, Junco, this is your chair."
Ryse is at the far left, Ashur is at the far right, and Braun is in the middle. Isten, myself, and an empty chair are situated between Ashur and Braun, while Arel, Rikan, and Mish are between Ryse and Braun.
I sense there is a method to this seating arrangement, but I don't see it.
Lucan enters in a rush. "Good afternoon, 039."
"Good afternoon," they say together.
I look up at Lucan. "Uh, good afternoon."
He smiles. "Junco, it's nice to have you at a meeting for once."
I scowl. "I've been busy, you know."
"Very busy," he agrees. "Which is why I'm wondering why you insist on breaking the rules and forcing me to take you off task."
I stare at him as the understanding creeps in. This is not a friendly chat, this is a military meeting and he is my commander. "Sir, I am fighting for my life in there and the SEAR is really not against the rules, in fact the rules state that only biological weapons can be used and my weapon certainly qualifies."
"Uh-huh. 039, do you agree that Junco should be allowed to use the weapon in her Fledge?"
They say various things but in general they agree. I get a smug look on my face.
"Well, if this were a democracy, Junco, you'd win, wouldn't you?"
I scowl at him.
"But this is not a democracy, this is the military and the 039 is my personal Aves team. Which means you are my personal soldier. And as such, you will do what I tell you. Is that clear?"
My eyes look straight ahead. "Yes, sir."
He smiles, happy with my obedience. "You make a much better soldier than you do a woman, Junco. Sorry, but it's true."
The guys let out little laughs as my face heats up, but Ashur cuts it off with a curt, "Enough."
"We will discuss your weapon after we conclude the team's business." He turns and takes a seat at the front of the room. "Oh, and by the way, good job staying alive today."
I mumble a "thank you, sir" and then the meeting begins.
Basically, they've cut Tier out. Ashur has been promoted to captain, Ryse to XO, and Braun to the up position. Which, from what I can gather through conversation, means he is training to be a pilot and then he will eventually go through officer school like Ryse just did.
Braun doesn't strike me as officer material, not because he's not competent, but because he's got a little too much rebel in him. He doesn't look particularly happy either. He stands and gives a report on the status of his training and then slumps down in the straight-backed chair. Ryse and Ashur give reports on what the rest of the team are doing. Isten will be guarding some local big-shot in town for the night and the others are just on patrols in places I've never heard of.
Lucan's attention comes back to me. "Junco, report on your status."
I stand. "Well, I killed, uh–" I stop to count them up in my head. "Fifty-two people today." Then I blow out some air and try to explain my injury. "Someone broke my feathers and Kush had to help me again." And then I sit back down.
"Nothing else to report?"
I groan and stand up again. My chair scrapes against the tile and the noise makes me wince. "Sir, I took a shower and a nap."
"Two naps," Isten corrects me. "She slept on the floor of the flyer on the way over."
The guys all think this is funny, but I ignore them.
"Did you eat?"
Oh, fuck. If they start up with me about eating again–
"Junco? Did you eat?"
"Not yet, but–"
"Ashur, the team will make sure she eats before escorting her back to Fledge."
"Yes, sir."
Now it's my turn to slump down in my chair. They make me feel like a child. It doesn't help that I look like a child next to them. Even Arel is giant next to me. They talk about stuff I don't understand for another twenty minutes and then everyone but Ashur and me is dismissed.
Lucan begins talking before Rikan can close the door behind him. "Junco, what does it mean to be a captain in your Earth military?"
"It's a middle-rank officer."
"Here," he continues, "it is not a middle rank. It is the highest rank – under the Archers, do you understand?"
"I get the point, if that's what you mean."
"That is not what I mean, do you understand how we rank our military?"
"No."
"I'll send you a file that you can study."
"Send it to me where?"
"You have your com, correct? My vision display says it is on your person."
I scrunch my eyebrows together and he sighs. "Yes, we track you with it. But at least we don't implant it in your body."
I reach into my thigh pocket and pull out the flexible card and put it on the table.
"Good. Ashur will program it for you before you are dropped off and I will send you information that way."
"Yes, sir."
"Were you allowed to disobey your commanders on Earth, Junco?"
"No, sir."
"Will you disobey Ashur?"
I look at Ashur. "No, sir."
"Wonderful. Ashur, you may wait outside."
I let out a giant groan and both heads snap back and show annoyance at my grumbling.
When Ashur is gone Lucan walks over to a terrace on the far end of the room. "Come here, Junco. The meeting is over and you are free to speak."
The doors slide open as we approach and the noise of the city bombards my ears. There are flyers going by at eye level and the city lights are all on now that the afternoon is winding down.
He leans against the balcony railing and so do I, suddenly feeling weary. "Everyone knows who you are now, thanks to that woman on Earth, so you may continue to use the SEAR if the situation requires it."
"Thanks."
"I'm afraid you've misunderstood what the General Fledge is about, though, Junco. You see, you're making a few mistakes and Ashur is worried about how they will affect your chances for success."
I groan again and wait it out.
"You're collecting children? To protect during the battles?"
I shake my head. "That's not exactly true, Lucan. I'm not collecting them, it's just I've grown fond of Isec, and the little girl today – it was just too much. She's just a kid."
"You're not doing them any favors, Junco. Even if those kids make it because of you, they'll be killed in the Aves for not being strong enough. It's futile what you are doing."
I shrug. "I'm not going to stop."
"You'll disobey?"
I look him straight in the eye. "Yeah, I will."
He pauses to see if I'll add anything to that statement, but I don't. "Here's where I think you're getting confused, Junco. You're already an extremely well-trained soldier so you've been taught from an early age, a very early age I've heard, that you're a member of a team. This is what makes a good soldier, you have that cohesive property in you. I get it. If you were in the Aves Fledge, you'd be part of a team, that is a major difference between the General Fledge and the Aves Fledge."
He stops and looks at me until I nod. "OK."
"The General Fledge has no teams, Junco. And you keep insisting on trying to build one out of these throwaways."
"That's not what this is about, Lucan." I lean over and rest my hands on the top rail, then sink my head down on them and close my eyes. "I just can't kill the little ones." I look up again and study his face, but he's stoic. "And I'm not killing Isec. I'm not."
"Well, this is interesting. Because, you know, we all feel that way about you, Junco. Very protective."
I have to admit, this catches me off guard.
He smiles. "Of course, you're highly qualified, and there's the difference. Tier was correct when he refused to kill you. Because you're the perfect Aves warrior."
I put my head down again.
"These kids will not make it, Junco. They will not."
I stay silent and wait for it.
"However, if it will make you happy, I will have Ashur and the men train them for you."
I look up and smile. "You will?"
"But they will still die, Junco."
I nod.
"And the end will not shift. You will still end up in the same place. Recall that I told you before that the time to change the outcome was past?"
I nod.
"You will still hate me in the end, Junco. But it wasn't me who put you here. It was Tier. And it was you."
"I get the feeling that you know a lot more about what's going on than I do."
"That is the understatement of the millennium. You know nothing. And now," he turns back to the apartment, "this conversation is over. I will send Kush a personal thank you. Goodbye."
The guys are all waiting for me outside and none of them look happy about it. "Finally," Ryse says. I try to catch Braun's eye but he ignores me. They all shuffle out the doors and again, I'm last. I walk out and find Ashur waiting for me around the corner. He lets me pass and then takes up the rear.
We get food to go from the cafeteria and pile in the flyer. I eat whatever it is they hand me and it's not bad. When we finally reach the Fledge building I get out and they close the door and issue half-hearted goodbyes.
And then I am alone.
And for the first time in a very long time, I feel lonely.
I lie down in the grass and look up at the ceiling and puff on a cigar. A little while later I hear wings and turn to see Ashur landing on the sidewalk.
"I forgot to program your com, Junco." He sits down next to me and I hand it over. He hands it back a few minutes later. "Are we good?"
