“That’s correct, ma’am,” Dean said. “You know Captain Parker?”
“We have met. It is good to see you again, Vanessa.”
“And you as well, Sloan. How do you like the E.S.D.F. Apache?”
“It is a fascinating ship. I am grateful for the gravity field. It doesn’t feel like we’re in space.”
“No,” Captain Parker agreed. “It’s fantastic technology, although it may take me a while to get used to. I’ve been spinning on board a space base for a long time.”
“I should let the two of you catch up,” Dean suggested.
“No, please,” Fanning said, putting a hand on Dean’s arm. “I would like to talk to you. I’ve read your reports and seen vid footage, but there is nothing like a firsthand account.”
“I’m not sure how much help I can give you. I didn’t really encounter the Kroll except for a few moments in complete darkness. I was more focused on getting my platoon out of danger than studying the enemy.”
“Enemy? Why do you call the Kroll your enemy?” the diplomat asked.
“Because they attacked us,” Dean said simply.
“But you were on their ship, no? They were defending themselves, perhaps?”
“I’m afraid we’ll have to disagree on that point,” Dean said, feeling self-conscious. “You can debate about who attacked who, and the intentions of those involved. I can only speak for myself. Our ship was attacked, the Alrakis Ship Yards were attacked, and I did what I thought necessary to stop whoever was hurting humans.”
“That is my question,” Sloan Fanning said. “Where they hurting us? From what I’ve read, the only people that were hurt were those who resisted.”
Dean thought for a moment. He couldn’t deny that the Kroll hadn’t done anything to the humans they took hostage. The crew of the Alrakis space station and the Roosevelt where kept in a room on their ship, but not injured or interrogated.
“Most people would argue that forcing people onto an alien ship is an attack,” Captain Parker said. “There was certainly no choice in the matter for the hostages.”
“I think it is valuable for us in dealing with a new race to step back for a moment and try to see things from their perspective,” Fanning said. “We do not have to agree with it, but we should not condemn them for doing what they thought was right. Our own history is rife with examples of people with conflicting values and traditions fighting because they did not first try to understand. Captain Blaze, if I may use your encounter on the Kroll ship as an example?”
“By all means,” Dean said, wondering if he could trust the beautiful woman in front of him.
“The Kroll attacked you in their ship, yes?”
“That’s correct,” Dean said. “I was targeted specifically.”
“And yet, the attack was not violent, was it?”
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean. Isn’t any attack violent?”
“No, of course not. What I mean is that their attack didn’t cause you physical harm,” Fanning said. “It was a binding agent, am I right? Something that pinned you down, but didn’t actually hurt you.”
Dean thought for a moment. “Yes, I guess so. To be honest, I hadn’t really thought of it that way.”
“No, you were in the heat of the moment. And you are trained to respond in a certain fashion. But it makes me wonder, if perhaps the Kroll weren’t trying to harm you.”
“Well, I can say that they could have done more,” Dean replied.
“Captain, you were injured in that operation, weren’t you?” Parker asked.
“Yes, I was hit with a laser weapon that the feline creatures were using against us,” Dean replied. “I’m not sure how we justify the actions of the Kroll and the creatures with them from your point of view.”
“Think of this, Captain,” Fanning said. “Perhaps they captured the humans on the space station and in the EsDef ship to protect them. It is possible that they simply wanted to study us, to learn more about us, isn’t it? We have no idea how they think or reason. We do not know what motivates them. Do they value life? Do they seek knowledge? We don’t know, and we can’t know until we find a way to communicate. My point is just that we shouldn’t view them as enemies until we are certain that is what they are.”
“I get that,” Dean said. “And perhaps my opinion is slanted toward the militaristic, but I have to say there’s something terribly frightening about the Kroll. It’s not just what they are capable of, and I have no reason for this feeling, but I’ve been around these beings and they scare me.”
“Perhaps you are not the best person to serve as our protection on this diplomatic mission,” Fanning stated.
“I think Captain Blaze’s experience and even his trepidation make him the perfect choice to watch your back. He has admitted his bias in regard to the aliens. Have you? It seems to me that you are searching desperately for a diplomatic and peaceful side to the Kroll that may not be there.”
“Surely, Captain Parker, you would not fault me for hoping for peace.”
“No, I wouldn’t,” Parker pressed on, “but I would warn you not to overlook the predatory nature of the Kroll. They did not seek to communicate with the Alrakis Ship Yards or either of the EsDef vessels before they attacked. Nor did they try to communicate once their ship was damaged.”
“Perhaps they did and we simply weren’t prepared to hear it,” Fanning argued. “Not every being communicates verbally.”
“Be that as it may, I would caution you against overlooking the Kroll’s use of force.”
“I will take that into consideration as I prepare to meet them,” Sloan Fanning said. “I am sure we will have more to discuss in the days ahead, Captain Blaze. It was a pleasure to meet you.”
“And you, ma’am,” Dean said.
“Bon voyage, Captain Parker.”
“Good evening, Sloan,” Parker said.
They watched the diplomat glide away in her sparkling evening gown. Dean felt mixed feelings. He felt guilty for admiring Fanning’s beauty, his mind bringing up images of Esma as if to rebuke his admiration of the Swiss beauty. And he also felt anger that the diplomat had suggested that he wasn’t fit to complete the mission he’d been given. He wanted to like her, but he couldn’t deny that they didn’t see eye to eye.
“What a piece of work,” Parker said in a soft tone, but one that was laced with fury. “Sloan Fanning is not what she appears, Dean. Not what she appears at all.”
“What do you mean?” Dean said, matching Parker’s hushed voice.
“I mean, she’s delusional if she thinks the Kroll aren’t dangerous. I can try to see that we have been reacting to the idea of the Kroll as a threat because of the information we obtained from the Urgglatta ship. We don’t know if that information is true, but what we know for certain is that they attacked our space station and EsDef ships without cause. To simply overlook that, for any reason, is foolishness of the highest order.”
“She’s not that big a fan of me as her escort,” Dean said.
“She’s not a fan of EsDef,” Parker went on. “There are rumors she’s involved in the pacifist movement that’s spreading through the colonies. There is more support for dissolution of OWFR than you might think. And not just in civilian circles, as you know firsthand. I first met Sloan Fanning at a summit for colony expansion. She gave a speech that was not well received in Recon circles.”
“Great,” Dean said, thinking of his troubles on his first tour with Vice Admiral Hamilton. “Is she a member of the Earth Alone movement as well? They really love me.”
“No, she’s too smart to be aligned with any of the fringe groups directly. And don’t get me wrong, she’s intelligent and good at her job. She has a way of making people do what she wants.”
“Let’s hope her charm isn’t lost on the Kroll,” Dean said.
Captain Parker smiled, “That’s the spirit Captain. Just another walk in the park for Recon.”
“First in the fight,” Dean said quietly
.
“Tip of the spear,” Captain Parker replied.
Chapter 26
When the party finally wrapped up Dean returned to his quarters. It had been a long day, with plenty of new things for his mind to get caught up in, but he wasn’t tired. He changed into his utility fatigues and headed down to Alpha deck. It was past 2200 hours ship time, and Dean found himself alone in the Recon section of the new ship. It was quiet, and while he didn’t mind the solitude he discovered that he felt a little lonely. Mostly he missed Esma, her smile, her quick wit. He felt bad that he couldn’t be with her and even worse that he didn’t know if she was going to be okay. Even when he reasoned that her condition was completely out of his control, he still felt like he was doing something wrong by not staying with her until she recovered. They weren’t exactly in a committed relationship, but there was no doubt in Dean’s mind that they were more than just friends.
He wandered into the weight room and settled into the universal machines. Band weights, which were what he was accustomed to using on tour, simply didn’t have the same satisfying feeling as using the universal machines with their stacks of metal plates. He spent the next forty-five minutes focused on his chest and back, pushing and pulling heavy weights until sweat was running freely down his forehead and soaking into his shirt.
From the weight room Dean strolled over to the locker where the training weapons were stowed. The new EMR rifles seemed to call his name. He picked one up, feeling the weight, or more accurately the lack of weight. Dean was used to some heft in his utility rifle, but the new weapon was very lightweight. He decided it was time to test things out. He racked the rifle, closed the locker, and went to the ready room. All he needed was his TCU. The new battle helmet looked exactly the same, and Dean guessed that the upgrades to their armor hadn’t effected his Tactical Control Unit, but he was surprised to see that the software had in fact been revamped. The controls were all the same, but the helmet seemed even more responsive, almost as if it were reading his mind.
He went back to the VR training room, selected one of the EMR rifles, and went inside the dome. His TCU synced with the room’s program controls automatically, and Dean brought up the marksmanship training course. Suddenly Dean found himself outside, in bright sunlight. The sky was a brilliant blue, the grass on the field where he was standing was vividly green, and the target fifty yards away looked real. Dean raised the rail gun, checking the safety and the clip. The weapon had a small display that revealed the amount of ammunition in the weapon, as well as the setting. The rifle had three firing modes, semi-automatic, three round burst, and full auto. That much was familiar to Dean, and he selected semi-automatic before raising the rifle to his shoulder.
Just like the utility rifle he was accustomed to, the EMR rifle was meant to be fired without traditional aiming methods. The weapon and his TCU linked together and gave Dean a reticle in his field of view, so lining up the sights along the barrel was unnecessary. He could shoot just as accurately from the hip as he could holding the weapon snug against his shoulder, but he held the rifle up the way he was most comfortable.
Pulling the trigger was easy enough, but the weapon bucked suddenly in his hands as if it were a living thing. The stock had a built in strut that was designed to minimize recoil, but the weapon would definitely take some getting used to. His first shot hit the target, but was well right of center. Dean took another breath, and eased the trigger back. The gun bucked hard, but the virtual projectile hit exactly where Dean had aimed. For the next hour Dean practiced shooting the new gun. It didn’t take long to get a feel for the weapon’s discharge and recoil. He moved up to the burst setting, and eventually full auto. The magazines for the rifle were much smaller than the old utility weapons, which meant in full auto the gun ran out of ammunition quickly. Dean learned how to pop the mag and ram a new one home quickly.
Once he felt comfortable with the weapon and the way it performed, he changed the marksmanship program. The field that had looked exactly like a live fire range changed to a sporting clay course. Dean didn’t have to move, he was standing in what looked like booth, while clay targets were launched through the air, and along the ground, in various directions and at various speeds. It was fun, and tiring. Dean’s back burned from the tension of holding the weapon ready for action. His shoulder ached from the recoil, and his eyes stung from the strain of searching for the next target. He ended his session with a program that illustrated the weapon’s damage potential against familiar objects. Melons exploded, trees splintered, and virtual reality cattle were knocked off their feet from the impact of the tungsten projectiles, which also ripped jagged holes completely through the cows upon impact.
Dean returned to his room and took a long shower. Each of the small shower stalls recycled the same water, so standing under the jets of hot steam didn’t waste the precious resource. Dean let the plumes of hot mist cascade over him, warming and relaxing his muscles. Then he wrapped a towel around his waist, threw another around his neck, and returned to his office. He brought up his personal mail account and dictated a message to Esma. He told her that he was thinking of her, hoping that she was improving, and that he would contact her as soon as he was back in the Sol system.
After sending the message he got in bed. The bunk was small, but comfortable. He shut off all the lights except for the vid screen, which was displaying a camera feed from the Apache that faced away from the space base they were docked to. Unlike in movies, outer space was a dark place. Occasionally the view rotated past another ship, where Dean could see its running lights but little else. Mostly the dark screen showed hundreds of distant stars. More than Dean could hope to visit in a single lifetime. He wondered if the Kroll were out there somewhere, thinking about him. His platoon had managed to thwart their plans in the Alrakis system. Still, the vastness of space made Dean feel small and weak.
He didn’t want to be there, he wanted to be where Esma was, but he shook those feelings away. Relationships were difficult for the lucky few selected for service, he knew that without a doubt. If he had wanted something stable he could have asked to be posted on Earth. For that matter he could have stayed with Miranda in San Diego, but his dream was to lead a platoon into the unknown. Only the unknown wasn’t what he thought it was. In the vast expanse of space there were other powerful races who had no qualms about capturing and doing who knew what to any human that crossed their path. Dean had wanted adventure, and he hadn’t yet shrunk back from danger, but fear lay down with him on the bunk in his new home. Fear of what was out there in the darkness, fear that no matter what he did he wouldn’t be able to stop it from destroying everything he loved.
Eventually he drifted off to sleep. In his dreams he found himself pursuing a beautiful woman. He reached out for her, but she was just out of reach. He kept running, kept calling to her, but she ran on, never growing tired. Her long blonde hair waved in front of him, her bare shoulders stirred his passion, and when at last she turned he realized he was pursuing Sloan Fanning. She opened her arms to him and even though his mind recoiled, his desire for her did not subside and he quickly gave in, embracing her in a feverish longing.
He woke up in the darkness. His wrist link blinked to life when he lifted his arm. Only a few hours had passed. He got up, used the bathroom and tried to lay back down and sleep, but the guilt of his dream nagged at him. Dean had never thought of himself as the kind of man who would keep up physical relationships with multiple women. And he had stayed true to his heart during the long months of his media tour, when he was surrounded by temptation on a daily basis. There had been no reason to resist the women who tried to seduce him other than a hope that somewhere Esma was still thinking about him. And yet as he lay on his narrow bed, he felt the closeness of Sloan Fanning. She was somewhere on the ship, and would be there, just a few doors down from Dean, for at least two months. He didn’t know if he could see her and be around her every day without falling for the beautiful diplomat. Not that she had shown any
real interest in Dean. She had been friendly, but he reasoned that she was simply trying to win him over to her way of thinking about the Kroll.
Dean didn’t want to be right about the predatory aliens. He would love nothing more than to discover they were a misunderstood, but peace-loving race. Only he knew deep in his heart that wasn’t the case. There was nothing peaceful about the Kroll. They were like lions on the savanna. They might look peaceful as they sat idle, watching the herds of gazelle and zebras and buffalo, but they were simply biding their time. The thoughts behind their intelligent eyes was always about their next kill, the next opportunity to devour their prey. That was what the Kroll were, predators in search of new creatures to pursue. And humanity had just popped up on their radar. Dean couldn’t drop his guard, not with Sloan Fanning, and not with the Kroll. Vigilance was his only weapon, and he would wield it relentlessly.
Chapter 27
“Welcome to the Wolfpack,” Dean said, addressing the three men who stood at attention in his small office. “As you know, we’re on an important mission. Everything we do will be examined minutely by people who have never held a weapon or left the sweet embrace of Earth’s gravity. I demand the very best from my Specialists. We work together, we support one another, and we never quit, is that clear?”
“Yes sir!” the three men said in unison.
Dean examined each one. Emile Owanto was tall, at least six feet nine inches. He had broad shoulders and long arms. His eyes were fixed on a point somewhere over Dean’s head, but there was merriment in them, a sparkle of excitement that was infectious. Next to Owanto was the Swede, Max Teller, not quite as tall as his fellow HA Specialist, but much thicker through the chest, thighs, and shoulders. Where the sergeant had extremely dark skin, the Swede was pale, as if he had just emerged from a deep cave somewhere. The two men seemed to be polar opposites, but both had good service records.
Owanto was from South Africa, and a veteran of three tours. He had recently been promoted to sergeant and would be the senior man on Dean’s Heavy Armor defensive line. He had the towering physique of an HA Specialist, and the added muscles packed on from the carefully administered growth hormones during HA training looked natural on the big sergeant. His former officers praised Owanto for his positivity and natural leadership.
Embracing Oblivion: Wolfpack Book 3 Page 16
