“We’re here ma’am.” He said as they approached a clearly military base. He began speaking on his radio as he slowed his descent as she could see weapon emplacements had shifted covering the fighter as it came in. There were military personnel pouring out into the open areas of the base in various levels of dress speaking of how they’d been roused to cover the aircraft.
Finally after a few minutes the pilot sped up the descent bringing the craft down near some hangars instead of along the tarmac.
He popped the hood as a convoy of vehicles approached the jet. Yasu left the helmet in the jet as she climbed out and went to meet the vehicles their weapons pointing at her and the aircraft.
“You may take off now.” She said through her battle suits communicator. “I will radio for pick up later.”
“Yes ma’am, I’ll be in the area.” The jet’s hood closed as he took off vertically again weapons following him as he sped up turning away and up. She looked away as the dust cloud from the atmospheric fighters take off rolled past her as she waited for the oncoming vehicles.
The convoy reached her as she waited for them to stop. Something similar to an armoured personnel carrier she’d seen back on Earth stopped closest to her. The side opening like doors as a large Chaleelian stepped out and walked over to her shaking her hand.
“My name is General Carsickle.”
“Yes the Chaleel forces commander. Yes I know of you, now, I came here to see my husband.”
“Indeed, come with me.” He indicated the inside of the APC Yasu got in Carsickle following her as the vehicle took off.
He stared at her for a while as they rode across the base.
“Are you going to keep staring or are you going to ask me what’s on your mind.” She asked after a couple of minutes.
“I’m wondering how you could marry someone like Salchar and how this ‘Free Fleet’ hasn’t fallen apart.” Carsickle sat back in shock as Yasu laughed. Taking a few seconds to bring her under control.
“Well to the first one we were basically forced to marry as with the Syndicate they have a marriage ceremony in which people from opposite sexes are picked to fight one another. If they don’t want a relationship the stronger one wins and the other dies. If they do then they have to fight to submit the other then declare their intentions. With Salchar I stabbed him in the gut and he knocked me out, then when he woke up he declared he would marry me. I of course said yes. James is a different kind of man.”
“James? I’m guessing Salchar’s name isn’t really Salchar.”
“It’s his gamer name, as mine is Sword Mistress.”
Even as the APC stopped Yasu and Carsickle talked walking around the building rather than going inside of it as Yasu explained to him what had happened to them since the time they’d been recruited to now. Leaving out any important military details as Carsickle leaned against a wall afterwards. Four bodyguards close by, two watching in, and two out.
“He sounds almost impossible.”
“Oh he is.” Yasu said a small smile on her face. “I don’t think anyone else could’ve done what he’s done no matter what he says.” She turned looking to Carsickle her eyes imploring.
“However impossible and annoying and damned right idiotic he is, he’s still our leader.” Her brow creased in thought.
“No he’s more than that; he is our hope, the hope for all of the races of the Free Fleet, for the hope of Chaleel. The hope for the people that where left on the side lines, those that were bullied, attacked and forced to do as others wished. He might not be the picture perfect hero you think, or the kind gentle soul you read about in fairy tales. He’s as hard as armour and as relentless as the sun and he will do everything in his power to keep those around him safe. As you can see here he is willing to give up his life to try and create peace between our people. While also co-coordinating a battle.”
“He does seem a little far away.”
“Oh, he’s actually running the battle through his internal implants he’s using your comms tower to do so.” She said with a grin.
“He’s in the middle of my camp watching feeds for mundane patrols.” Carsickle said shocked.
“With James nothing is as it seems. Wheels within wheels.” She said as if it explained everything as she read a text message from none other than James.
“Which is why I do as he asks me—most of the time.” She pulled a data pad from the holder on her lower back. With a few swishes and taps she handed it to Carsickle.
Rules, regulations, standards and practices of the Free Fleet.
“Why are you giving me this code?”
“Now you know what is to be expected of planetary forces if an emergency occurs in this system and we render aid. It also lists recruiting practices and I attached a recruiting drive form for multiple different civilian jobs.”
“Why would anyone want to listen to you and go into space with nothing more than your word?”
“It’s called trust. That code also lists all of the rules that a person in the free fleet should abide by. If a few people take a leap of faith then others will follow we need to rebuild the lost trust between your people and the fleet. Plus wouldn’t you feel safer if you knew that the fleet that’s protecting your area had people from your planet in it so it couldn’t deny Chaleel help if it wanted because the Chaleelians would rebel.”
“You want Chaleelians in your fleet?”
“We’ll take anyone with a clean record, are of age of consent and passes our tests.” Yasu said.
“Now could you show me where my errant husband is?”
“Certainly—this way.” Carsickle led the way to the command bunker. They were passed though security quickly.
They reached a blast door which double guards opened for them, Carsickle gesturing to Yasu as she looked inside. James was sitting in one of the seats behind the commander’s chair everyone around him staring at him uneasily as he mumbled, or talked without words. Alien gestures to those without implants. He looked up at her as she entered with a calm expression as if everything was going as planned.
“James! You damned irritable jackass!” She said stomping through the room. Carsickle’s eyebrows raising a hint of a grin on his face as the door closed behind her.
“I believe we’ll be using your conference room.” James/Salchar said as he nodded towards a door Yasu going in first and him following as he shut the door firmly.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She said as soon as the door was shut.
“Sitting in a conference room.” He said matter-of-factly.
‘You are that—smart ass. You’re also missing from your command position of the fleet.”
“Yes well we need to create trust between the Chaleelians and the fleet, this is the best way I could think of it. Otherwise these people will never accept the fleet.”
“So what if they don’t trust you, there are how many other systems that need your help?”
“There’s bound to be people that don’t like me, or us. We’ve got to understand that.”
She sat in the chair waiting for her in a sigh. “You have a point.” She said unwillingly looking away before coming back and meeting his eyes.
“Though you could’ve waited until after you had a check up with the medics about your leg. You don’t know if it’s bleeding internally. They might just have to leave you alone and you’ll kill yourself.”
“Ah.” His calm exterior showed fleeting embarrassment as he scratched his head, now his turn to look away.
“The doc told me to ask if you feel light headed, weak, have numbness in places and if you can feel your toes.”
“No on the light headed, I was a bit weak but I’m fine now I have numbness in my side but I think that’s from my ribs cutting some nerve endings and I can feel my toes and move them.” He demonstrated bringing his foot up a way and wiggling his toes in the thin shoes he wore.
“I’ll tell the doc so as soon as I get back.” He nodded his assent a
s his gaze sharpened and he turned to her.
“Is everything good with the fleet? Have you started the recruiting drive yet?” She knew he knew everything so far, but she also knew how he liked to use others as sounding boards, even if it was just him talking to himself.
“Fleets fine, Ricks running everything in the black. Henry’s pretty much got everything on the ground covered Iron Bok Soo’s working with him Takahashi is on reserve.”
“Have you seen Bok Soo?”
“No he’s been moving from power plant to power plant and as soon as I heard you were arrested I demanded to see you.” His eyebrows lifted in surprise at this.
“I’ve told you before the fleet need you, you can’t be here. It’s shaken the fleet.”
“They will learn to cope without me for a few days. If and when I do stop being commander they’ll need to know how to react when I’m not there.”
“It would still be nice to know when you decide on letting yourself get taken hostage!” Yasu yelled back, crossing her arms.
“Yeah I should’ve warned people. But what’s done is done.” He shrugged.
The door opened as bodyguards and then the shadow leader walked into the room. Yasu instantly felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise up at the sight. Equally disturbed by their entrance as by the fact James hadn’t moved at all and barely acted as if anyone had entered the room. His eyes and body looked relaxed. The type of relaxed a veteran fighter looked before they’re about to pounce.
“I came to make sure you weren’t coupling, your race being so barbaric I wasn’t sure that we could stop you from trying to mate if you were.” He smirked as Yasu flinched.
“You’re the leader of these people and you’re making jokes about our mating habits, shouldn’t you have more pressing matters on your mind. If I was you I would be thinking about the fleet above my head and the military force that is two times your own and better equipped.” Yasu knew this wasn’t true but dismissed it as she was unconsciously figuring out how to subdue the people in the room. There was an edginess to them that she hadn’t felt even when around Carsickle and his highly trained bodyguards.
“For your information and please pass this on. I haven’t mated once, I’ve never had sexual intercourse I’m a virgin and I haven’t coupled with my wife. If you talk about my sexual activities in a derogatory way again under the free fleet code, conduct rules and standards I will charge you with sexual harassment.” Salchar growled, anger filling his voice.
The politicians smirk turned grim.
“You lie with every breath, fleet code. Hah! You have no code, or honour. My troops could kill you with a single order from me!” He snarled.
“You look a little confused.” James gone and Salchar’s mask in place as he turned from the politician to Yasu.
“Did you distribute the CCRS?”
“I gave a copy to Carsickle I was meaning to have it posted online we’ve been busy getting rid of the Syndicate forces.”
“Ah I see, please see to it that it is posted for people to view. But as I know Carsickle he would’ve tried to bring this information to you, so it seems that you weren’t able to get information readily available to you. That is something you should endeavour to work on. Information is of vital importance, especially the CCRS as you will serve a term, possibly in space and in the majority away from your home for the duration. I will let any infractions to the CCRS go for now within reason. But work to attain a copy of the CCRS at your earliest convenience.” Salchar’s voice cold his red eyes burning into the politicians.
The shadow leader had regained his composure losing his forward drive that the insult would’ve given him as it was truly and utterly stonewalled. Embarrassed and shame faced, his mocking became anger.
“You and your whore will not get any special treatment here.” Yasu watched as James’ face became an icy mask.
“Say one more thing that goes against the code and I will have you arrested if I have to bring Resilient into the atmosphere and dig you out. I know that in desperate times people will turn to those that seem to have a plan.” James crossed his arms.
“Yet in peaceful times people don’t want a ruler that is willing to wage war. Do they?” The leader looked apoplectic as Salchar continued.
“It is in the leader’s best interest in war-time, if they desire to continue to be in power is to do two things, create a new threat or win completely. Now with my appearance and the offer of protection that takes away the new threat, though your propaganda machine is working to remember that. Then you are not allowed to win completely as my forces are already clearing your planet. So at best you come out with a half-win. Good so far?” Salchar asked rhetorically as he began pacing.
“So then, that leaves me as the Commander of Fleet in orbit of your planet and you as a short-lived official that worked from behind the scenes to ready people for a battle that never came.”
The Chaleelian shadow leader changed from looking offended to laughing.
Yasu and Salchar looked at him in confusion. He crossed his hands.
“There’s one problem,” He fired a pistol through his jacket killing one guard to his right, the one on his left was too stunned to react as the politician turned and shot him too.
“I never worked for the people of Chaleel. I was recruited by the Syndicate long ago.” He pulled a pistol identical to the one in his hand from a guard’s belt, putting it in his hidden holster.
“While you two ended the Syndicate occupation of Chaleel you will also prove to be good trophies to get me in the good graces of the Syndicate again, and then when they return then I can take over my position as shadow leader again.”
“What about the Free Fleet?”
“What about them? The Syndicate will easily push them aside. No one can defeat the Syndicate, not even the Union could.” He shot James who curled in a ball on the ground, a hole through his stomach. Yasu didn’t think as she pulled a needle thin clip that held her hair from her bun and at the shadow leader. It hit his arm, making him shoot the desk as Salchar let a roar go. He ripped the desk from the floor using it like a shield as he charged the leader who fired into the heavy metal table. Unable to penetrate it. Salchar threw it at him as he dove with a yelp. Salchar jumped using his claws and the roof to swing down onto the shadow leader.
“Don’t kill him James.” Yasu said as soothingly as possible as she saw the wild look in his eyes as he took a few breaths to calm himself. The shadow leader was whimpering, a stain spreading through his clothes. Yasu’s own adrenaline was abating as she realized there was someone banging on the door.
“Open it.” Salchar said, his claws retracting.
Yasu did getting pinned to the floor as combat geared soldiers covered Salchar. For a second she thought they were going to fire.
“Someone get over here with a goddamn camera.” Salchar demanded. A few seconds later General Carsickle walked in the room looking at the damage.
“What do you need a Camera for?” He asked calmly.
“To picture this assholes weapon still in hand.” Any rifles that had lowered snapped up as General Carsickle moved around the far side of the room.
“Camera!” He barked as one was quickly passed to him as he took multiple photos.
“You can release him now.”
“He took the pistol of one of the guards and has it in a hidden holster. His wrists are broken.” With that Salchar backed up and rolled so he was facing the floor away from the shadow leader his hands spread out. Three guards pounced on him and secured his arms with triple cuffs.
“He killed the guards and he was about to kill me when you broke in!” The shadow leader sounded shaken as soldiers moved in on him, the pistol still lying at his feet. A soldier kicked it away before searching for and finding the second pistol. He held it back as someone bagged it. Salchar went as straight as a board pushing the three soldiers on top of him off as he flipped over. Blood came from his wound as slowly around pushed out of his sto
mach. The skin quickly pulled together as he settled down, clearly exhausted.
“The hell was that?” Someone asked Yasu unable to see them because of her head being pressed into the floor.
“Hell fire, his battle suit must have activated it because he was injured.”
“Get them in secure holding cells until we know what the hell is going on. Update our Fleet liaison.” Carsickle said.
“Also have someone look into the shadow leaders affairs.”
“You can’t do that General without a permit from the council of judges.”
“If you will remember you enacted the war accords. With that I am able to motivate and use any resource to know the intention of the enemy. Thus I don’t need to ask the council of judges. Secure him as well.” With that he walked out as they were all frog marched to holding cells with the Shadow leader demanding that Carsickle be replaced and reprimanded, and he released.
The Recruitment: Rise of the Free Fleet Page 51
