The Recruitment: Rise of the Free Fleet

by Michael Chatfield

  “It seems that they’re playing music.” Carsickle stopped himself from shaking his head as the vehicle went airborne again, the shocks easily taking the impact as it continued on.

  How can we win against an enemy like that? He thought, as people rushed about his hidden command bunker. He doubted it would do any good; it was obvious Salchar knew everything.

  Gunfire erupted on the view screen, the entire room tensing as movement stopped.

  “Who is firing? I want a team down there to arrest them!” Carsickle barked as fear filled his stomach. If they killed him… It was clear the people under Salchar’s command were loyal, motivated. He’d left them to look after taking the planet while he secured them from counter attack from Carsickle’s own forces.

  “Ships are moving in orbit.” No.

  “Prepare to move the leader…”

  “The tank is shrugging off the weapons fire, including rocket attacks.” One of the operators said. Thank the sand!

  “Power levels spiked on ship, it fired!” My heart can’t take much more of this! His adrenaline spiking Carsickle saw as the laser strike hit the firing position in a small abandoned house on the edge of the city.

  Even weakened by having to burn through the atmosphere, the red pillar of light which was the laser strike turned the building into a molten crater

  Another firing position in an apartment building started firing. A cap popped off of a tube on the tanks body, firing as the apartment exploded outwards.

  “Check on that building I want reports of casualties!” Carsickle said. “Anyone that fires upon that tank will be given a life sentence!”

  The operators busied themselves. “The tank used a low yield directional weapon that exploded when it was inside the apartment, it only killed those in the room, no other reported casualties.” One reported seconds later as the tank came to the cordon that had been erected.

  A mixture of police and military stood waiting with all of their weapons aimed at the tank.

  “Hatch opening.” Another operator said.

  Salchar looked out onto the main drive. Without a seeming care in the world he waved his hand, saying something that couldn’t be heard by the command centres sensor suite.

  “Make sure they don’t fire.” Carsickle ground out.

  “General he’s calling us.”

  “Open the channel.”

  “So how do you want to do this? Have me step out, drop weapons and get onto a truck?”

  “Yes.”

  “Alright.” On screen Salchar was yelling back inside the tank. He threw his arms up as another hatch opened.

  “The sands.” An operator said as a giant appeared from the hatch, having problems getting its shoulders out of it. Its head mimicked the area around him, leaving just his red eyes and white razor sharp teeth visible as he and Salchar argued. It took a few minutes before the giant sat down in his seat, not looking pleased.

  “I’m going to put you on speaker so you can talk to your people.” Salchar said, sounding annoyed.

  A second later the communications showed that he was connected to speakers in the tank.

  “Please place Commander Salchar in a truck transport to the command bunker.” Salchar moved forward with his arms raised as three police officers and five military personnel rushed to cuff him, cover him and cover the rest as they placed him in the back of a truck none too gently. Carsickle let his breath come out in a hiss as he relaxed.

  “Sir we’re getting reports that the person we have in custody might not be Salchar.”

  “Why?” Carsickle said whipping to turn on the operator.

  “The creature we captured has a natural sensor absorbing ability long black hair and blood red eyes. He is also two foot taller than he was described.”

  “That was definitely Salchar I have no doubt it seems that something’s have changed since he’s been here last.” Carsickle said speaking his thoughts out loud.

  “Get me a detail and a holding cell that’s bomb proof I want to make sure that this is Salchar.”

  “Yes sir. He will be here in five minutes.”

  A Warrant came up to Carsickle a short time later. “Sir this way, we’ll take you to the cell.”

  “Lead on.”

  Carsickle listened over his radio as he heard the person thought to be Salchar was moved to the bomb cell. When Carsickle reached the cell Salchar was chained hands and feet to a floor and a reinforced table.

  “Well might as well get this started.” Carsickle said as he walked in the room. The first thing that caught him off guard was the eyes; they looked like the blood the human bled and seemed to stare right through him. His skin was different and reminded him of the strengthened polymers he was wearing himself. The fact that it was also mimicking the wall behind him freaked him out.

  Salchar’s hair was the only thing that was the same with a few hairs escaping its tie to dangle in his face as the sides were clean shaved. “Ah General Carsickle we finally meet.” Salchar said sitting back in his chair as much as his chains would let him.

  “I guess so.”

  “Have you pulled your people back?”

  “Yes I have. Though it seems that you still have some fierce fighting going on. Including in the sky with the atmospheric fighters that the Syndicate dropped.”

  “Yeah, that’s not my area of expertise but it seems we’ve got the upper hand plus we’re using shuttles to assist.” Salchar looked at a wall in thought tapping his forefinger on the table as he was clearly thinking of other things.

  “Nothing to be done but let my people do what they do. However much I would prefer being in the fight myself instead of here.” Salchar said, not sounding too pleased about his position.

  “Can you prove you’re Salchar?” Carsickle asked. Salchar looked to the ceiling for a few seconds.

  “In this body probably not, though I could tell you about the talks we had, or the time your people attacked mine.” Salchar’s eyes hot as he locked Carsickle in his gaze. Carsickle had dealt with hundreds of such stares but the ferocity and anger behind Salchar’s made him look away first.

  “I have no doubt your Salchar, though the changes you’ve gone through are…different. I have seen some races that grow wings or change their colouring on a whim.” He shrugged, studying me some more before finally coming to a decision.

  “Okay, you might as well meet my staff.” Carsickle waved to the one way glass, as seconds later a guard appeared with keys unlocking Salchar who got up slowly.

  “Follow me.” Carsickle said leading Salchar into his command bunker. Three guards following in full combat gear with their rifles pointed to Salchar.

  Chapter Husbands!

  “And so you let him go to be arrested.” Yasu said, her helmet off as she looked at Krom, even though she was a foot and a half shorter than him in her Mecha he looked annoyed at himself as he stared at a wall. To others it would’ve just looked as if he was angry, but Yasu, being around so many Avarians—knew how to depict their different emotions.

  “He ordered it, he is our battle master, and we must follow his orders.”

  “What about mine to keep the damned reckless fool away from danger or being left to his own devices?”

  “I am his sworn honour guard, his words are law unto me, and even his battle mistress can’t countermand them.” His voice apologetic but firm.

  “He hasn’t even had an examination after his leg was cut off and he re-attached it himself. He could be bleeding internally and all the Chaleelians will have to do is wait and say they didn’t know of the issue while he dies.”

  “He has the ability to request medical treatment.”

  “But will he? If he has treatment then it will probably save his life but at the same time they’ll be able to do anything to his body if he was out. Then they can find a weakness for humans and Avarians. Maybe create a gas that could kill only us.”

  “That would be dishonourable.” Krom sounded disgusted.

  “It�
�s called tactics and war.” She felt stunned as the words left her mouth before she could think of them. She looked to the floor in wonder of where her thoughts had gone. She’d just parroted what James would say. She thought incredulously, examining her own thoughts for the lesson there.

  If she was to fight dishonourably but it carried her people through the day she would do it; before the thought of doing so disgusted her to the point that she’d hated James. When they where on Earth she had found it so terrible how he had no honour when he went into battle in MAT. He played to win.

  How thankful she was now that he was willing to do what was needed to win. She knew that before she wouldn’t have been able to. He was the only one that had seen the truth of the world, winning was everything, there was no real consolidation prize for the runner up. She’d have acted much the same way that Krom had in the past, but now it was different. She shook her head clearing such thoughts from her mind.

  “There is no need to worry mistress, your husband is a resourceful man, and he will live through this of that I am sure. He will return to you as quickly as possible.” Krom said reassuringly, not knowing her own thoughts.

  Yasu’s hands turned into fists. As he comes back to me, he’s done well keeping his activities out of the purview of his protection detail; he must really like this ‘swinger’ woman he’s found. Or maybe he’s not even with a human. She thought rage flowing with her.

  “You—get me updates on his position.” She singled out someone that looked less harassed than the others in the makeshift command centre. They looked up, shocked by the request.

  “Request that I have a meeting with the commander.”

  “Yes Ma’am.”

  “Natsuko find me Takahashi.” With nothing more than a nod she moved away silently, Tomaki still waiting by her mistress.

  “I have the leader of the shadow group on the view screen.”

  “Good.” Yasu strode over to where a view screen and communications suite had been set up as she looked at the shadow leader.

  “Do you all wear armour constantly still covered in blood?” The leader said I in disgust. Yasu already displeased with the man.

  “The armour keeps us safe and allows us to survive multiple different circumstances. The blood, well we just cleared the syndicate forces from your planet and I haven’t had time to clean my armour.”

  “Both inadequate reasons but I will let it pass.” He said regally. As soon as they think they’re back in power they change in an instant.

  “Thank you.” Yasu said rolling her eyes as she bowed her head. When she got her hands on James he was going to pay for making her have to gripe and praise this—what for all reasons looked like a bureaucratic asshole.

  He waved his hand, imperiously sweeping the subject aside.

  “I request that I see my husband.”

  “Your husband?” He now studied Yasu closer.

  “You chose to mate with a creature like him?”

  “He chose me, in a way.”

  “You let him?” He asked incredulously.

  “I stabbed him and nearly killed him before he asked me to become his mate.” She left out the fact that he’d knocked her out afterwards as she unconsciously worked her jaw.

  “Your race is quite a violent one.”

  “We were forced to by the syndicate in a marriage ceremony before we were shipped out into space to fight for them thinking that they were actually a force that would keep our friends and family back on Earth safe, instead of keeping them enslaved and us blind cannon fodder. Now may I see my husband?” She said conversationally but her eyes fierce as she flexed her fists outside of the pickups field of view. This alien jackass was making her defend James.

  “Very well you will be allowed to meet, but you will not be allowed to couple nor wear anything powered that can act as a weapon. Or bring anything that would do anything like that. If you do so you will be arrested as well and charged according to Chaleel law.” He said in an off handed manner as if her troubles were beneath his attention.

  “Agreed, I will be at the command bunker within an hour.” She cut the channel before he could say anything marching out of the room. “Get me a transport of some kind.” She said to Takahashi who’d entered the command centre during the exchange. He nodded, rushing off to obey as she went to the mobile armoury that had been attached to the command centre. Eddie was there as she came in looking at her with confusion.

  “I’m going to see James so I need to store my Mecha and weapons.” She said in way of answering his gaze.

  He nodded his head seriously as he helped her out of her Mecha with practiced hands.

  She felt naked without the Mecha enveloping her, even more so without the comfortable weight of a pistol and her sword.

  “Transport is ready.” Takahashi said returning to the room his forces where in the reserve ready to move where Iron Bok Soo and Henry where at any moment. While he was waiting he’d been updated by the Sato sisters on everything that had happened and wasn’t happy but he kept his mouth shut around Yasu.

  “Thank you.” She debated taking a shower or not for a few seconds before shrugging. They already thought of her and all humans as violent disgusting creatures, hopefully the smell of being in a Mecha for a day would keep them away from her.

  She walked out of the room Takahashi guiding her to a fast wing jet. The pilot already had the engines humming as she accepted a helmet and took the secondary seat. The canopy closed over her as the remainder of samurai’s revenge waited at the edge of the crafts blast area as it rose into the air vertically and pushed forward.

  The person she’d told to keep a track of James was relaying information to the pilot already as they made adjustments in the air.

  “We should be there in twenty minutes.” The pilot said through a speaker in the helmet she’d been given.

  “Thank you. I didn’t know we had any aircraft like this aboard the fleet?” She turned the statement into a question.

  “We don’t Ma’am this was one of the products that the syndicate were making. Highly weaponized and versatile, but incapable of exiting atmosphere. So great for suppressing a population, yet if it’s captured then it can’t attack ships in space.”

  “So how do you know how to pilot this?”

  “I was part of the group stationed here so I learned to pilot it through learning programs. Iron Bok Soo was able to convince the syndicates we would make great pilots, with a fix we were able to pull the kill switches and keep the syndicate’s flyers on us instead of the ground forces. We basically cancelled out their fighters, with the added fast shuttles and ship support we were able to win.” He said as he went through a high-g turn, talking the whole time with ease.

  “What are the other atmospheric fighters doing?”

  “They’re now on call for MC support. We can hover and give cover from explosive ordinance and rake the enemy.”

  “These are as you say only planet based machines, they can’t achieve escape velocity or works in space, and so what use will that learning be then?”

  “They’re very similar to space fighters as well. So we can change out and use them. They’re more expensive in terms of how much materials and time they take to make them. Plus we could increase the fleet’s firepower with faster harder to detect fighters. With a station we could be left in systems as internal security.”

  “I didn’t know we had fighters.” Yasu now perplexed.

  “That’s because the ships that we have aren’t given a fighter compliment. The only ship that is, is a carrier. I was able to finally look one up when the free fleet arrived. They’re massive ranging from eight hundred metres to one point two kilometres long with widths and depths half of the Relentless. They’re the biggest ships created other than some merchant vessels but those are usually just frames with engines and wormhole dishes big enough to push it through a hyper jump with the cargo tagged onto it.” He rolled the fighter sideways and upwards as an automated Chaleelian AA wea
pon tried to get a lock but was thrown off by the manoeuvre.

  “Who has a ship that big?”

  “The Union used to. The Syndicate has a few, but they stay closer to their home system Dovark. They’re only used when a planet becomes dangerous to the Syndicates rule. I expect that we’ll be seeing them soon.”

  “Joy.” Yasu muttered as she watched the city underneath her moving past quickly. Hoping that nothing else would make her pilot throw them into another high-g manoeuvre.