The Black Guard

by C. R. Daems

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Jax Contract Committee: Interview

  When I arrived back to Sasser Mountain, I found Tzadok and Hada were on assignments and Dubrin on leave. He was single and took every opportunity to travel and meet new women. It was rumored he had at least one sweetheart in each town on Jax with a population over a thousand.

  The second day back, Commander Wexler invited me to lunch in his office, a rare event. He wasn’t unfriendly, but tended to keep relationships with his troops, even the captains, on a professional level. At first, I thought it was because he outranked us and we were… beneath him. But over time, I came to realize the military ran on tradition and one couldn’t afford to blur the lines of command. Even more importantly, close relationships with those you commanded could adversely influence your decisions. But every commander needed to understand each person’s strengths and weaknesses if he was to command effectively.

  When I entered his building, Corporal Yaron led me to a small conference room, where Wexler was already sitting with a glass of red wine.

  "Sapir, have a seat. What would you like to drink?" he asked, waving me to an empty chair to the right of him.

  "Juice, of any kind," I said.

  "You don’t drink alcohol or is it because you’re with your commander?" he asked.

  "No, sir. Captain Attali never did, so I didn’t. She has been my mentor ever since we entered the Jax military. Now, seeing how it affects some people, it was a good decision." I said, being honest and open.

  "Grape," Yaron said, smiling as he placed a glass of purple juice in front of me, probably because of the irony—both drinks were made from grapes.

  "You are one of the most talked about officers in the Guard, Sapir. In reports and in the telling, your actions seem cold and even vicious, yet those that know you like you, and those who have served with you admire you." Wexler sat looking at me while sipping his wine. Cold and vicious, I mentally shuddered. Clearly the Justices on Halo saw it that way, as did those I held in the rooms. "The Jax Contract Committee has invited you and me to a meeting. I think you present them with a dilemma—whether to sanction or censure your actions."

  I sat trying to quiet my mind. The Guard was my life, my family, and the reason I was, at long last, at peace. The thought that I could lose that had my mind spinning. I don’t know if Wexler talked or how much time had passed when I finally managed to quiet my mind and focus again. Wexler sat in the same position, but his glass was now full. It had been near empty.

  "Yes, a troubling thought. Whatever their conclusion, it must apply to both of us, since I am your superior and responsible for your assignments," he said as Yaron put platters of food on the table. "A shuttle will be here to collect us tomorrow at six a.m."

  * * *

  After I left Wexler, I wandered blindly around, not sure where to go. Sometime later I found myself at Hada’s and my favorite meditation spot, and sat. I realized Wexler was a very shrewd man. He hadn’t invited me to lunch and given me the potential consequences of tomorrow’s meeting to worry me, but to give me time to prepare. Dragons may make him nervous, but he understood us, and I realized, trusted us. What made him nervous was that we were each unique and could not be expected to respond the same. On reflection, that would give anyone a headache. I smiled at the thought and my mind quieted. When I returned to consciousness, it was early morning and a hint of dawn approaching. I rose, feeling relaxed, made my way back to my quarters, showered, dressed, and just had time for breakfast. Commander Wexler was walking towards the trail to the shuttle pad just as I exited the dining hall.

  "Good morning, Commander Wexler," I said, bowing deeply. "Thank you for inviting me to lunch."

  He gave me an appraising look, then smiled. "Good morning, Dragon Sapir. You look rested."

  We walked to the shuttle pad in silence and arrived just as a shuttle with a Jax Council Seal on its side approached. Inside, the seats were wider, cushioned, and covered in a soft, leather-like cream colored material. And an attendant served us tea while Wexler shared a little of his life in the Guard. Like all of us, he had been born into a family of three, but in his case, he was the last and born and after his two brothers were past the eligible age. He had been showered with love. His father had been a captain in the commandos and done his best to prepare him for what was to come. Young Wexler had set his sights on the Guard and had succeeded in making sergeant. Over the years, he had earned a commission as a lieutenant, then the rank of captain, and had been eventually picked for commander. It explained much about Wexler and his strong belief that tradition and duty should be the same. I was sorry to see the flight end.

  We landed on the top of the Jax military headquarters building in the center of the Gilboa, the Jax capital. As we exited the shuttle, a Lieutenant stood with two commandos, weapons in hand.

  "Sir, please hold this devise to your eye." The lieutenant handed Wexler a small eye reader. As he did, the lieutenant watched his pad, nodded, retrieved the devise, and handed it to me. "Thank you, Commander Wexler. Ma’am."

  I took it and held it to my eye. He nodded and looked up. Thank you, Captain Sapir. He tapped the tablet and two silver-looking cards emerged. He placed one on each of our sleeves. They clung like magnets. "Sergeant Falk will escort you to your meeting." He stepped back and saluted as a stocky, middle-aged sergeant stepped forward.

  "If you would follow me, sir, ma’am," he said, turning towards an open elevator door. Once we were inside, he pressed the button with 51 on it. When the doors opened, two commandos stood blocking the exit. Another lieutenant ran a scanner over our badges, checked his pad, stepped back, and saluted.

  "Sergeant Falk, show Commander Wexler and Captain Sapir to room 5112."

  We followed Falk to the right down a long hallway with floor to ceiling windows looking out over the city. It was a dizzying view, giving me the feeling I was walking on air. At the end of the hallway, two more commandos stood outside a door. When we arrived, one scanned our badges and then announced us via his Mfi. After a short pause watching his Mfi, he opened the door and Wexler and I entered, approached the two men and a woman, and bowed low. From pictures, I recognized the woman on the left as Admiral Geller, Naval Operations; the man in the center as General Lerman, Army Operations; and the man on the right as General Noam, Special Forces Operations. These three were responsible for negotiating the Jax contracts. They each sat at a small steel table with a glass top, which appeared to be touch screen displays. General Geller was first to speak.

  "Relax, and have a seat at the tables in front of you," she said, pointing to the two individual tables. I sat in the one to the right and Wexler the left. "The three of us not only negotiate the Jax contracts, but we also review the results for compliance, both from the client and the responsible Jax unit. Written reports are adequate in evaluating most straightforward contracts. For more complex ones, we usually set up a teleconferencing call with the unit’s commander to fill in the gaps. On rare occasions, when several contracts turn out to be not what we anticipated, it is our responsibility to determine the cause and take appropriate action."

  When Geller paused, Lerman spoke, "Normally that would involve a face to face with the unit commander. In this case, Commander Wexler. However, since the contracts in question all involve you, Captain Sapir, we felt the need to have you present."

  When Lerman paused, Noam spoke, "Specifically, Lanzhou, Molova, New Keif, Faithful, and Halo. We need to determine whether we the committee, the client, or the Black Guard was responsible for the unpredictable consequences, and take appropriate action to avoid similar problems in the future."

  Geller continued. "The client lied to us at Lanzhou, but you, Captain Sapir, kidnapped the client and abandoned the structure you were supposed to guard. If he had been killed or captured, the Jax would have looked like they had run from their responsibility." Her pause and slight tilt of her head were a clear invitation for me to comment. I fought for a quiet mind, knowing I was bein
g judged and the consequences could mean the end to my career in the guard. I sat quiet for several minutes, refusing to answer until my mind settled. When Captain Sapir disappeared and Dragon Sapir finally appeared, I nodded acknowledgement.

  "The Jax military, through their representatives, gave me command and a duty when you assigned me to guard the governor of Yuan province, just as you gave Captain Drezner the responsibility to stop the rebels attacking Ebao. He could have been judged a coward letting three hundred rebels proceed to the governor’s estate before he moved to block the remaining rebel force." I took a drink of water before proceeding. "Had he chosen tradition and tried to block the entire rebel force, they would have overrun him, killing all of his detail and permitting the entire remaining force to proceed to the estate. In that event, the Guard and the governor would have been killed, regardless of my actions. So I believe he chose duty, limiting the number that could attack the estate and providing his detail a chance of containing the remaining force in Ebao." I took another drink, not because I was thirsty but to give them time to digest what I had said. "Knowing I could not defend the estate against an organized and well equipped force of over two hundred, I also chose duty, to save the lives covered by our contract. If I had chosen to stay and die, how would the Jax have been perceived? As heroes or as brave but fallible?"

  Leman gave a short laugh. "The quip heard around the known galaxy… ’I’m not going to let some want-a-be rebels demonstrate to the universe that the Jax can be beaten by rabble with a piffling ten to one odds.’ Captain Drezner told his colonel he and his men had resigned themselves to dying at Lanzhou until they heard that. That became the battle cry that broke the rebel attack and resulted in their defeat."

  "Yes, you have a point, Captain. Failing is failing no matter how brave you are. What about Molova? It was not in our contract to protect Prince Badal’s wife when she went shopping. The contract was from his estate to the conference building and back," Noam asked. "She had her own security to protect her while away from the meeting site."

  "I admit I never considered the technicalities of the contract, only my duty to protect our clients. And I would doubt Prince Badal or future clients would accept that as an excuse, although valid in a court of law."

  "New Keif," Geller interrupted. "You were sent to advise and assist, yet you took it on yourself to take independent action. Some might consider your action wanton killing."

  "Neither the army nor commandos are trained to fight in buildings. Consequently, their losses were heavy. I did not believe telling them ’how to’ would have changed their basic instincts, and it might have made matters worse. And trying to integrate the Guard into their teams would have been disastrous for both teams, as we have never trained together. I, therefore, chose to help by cleaning out one building."

  "Why did you let over a hundred rebels escape?" Noam asked.

  "Because I was asked to help clear the building, not kill rebels." That got smiles all around.

  "At Faithful, you renegotiated the contract. Do you believe that is your prerogative, Captain?" Geller asked.

  "When I found Imum Kelebek had underestimated the Jax resources she needed, I contacted Captain Blatt of the Crouching Tiger who agreed to provide them," I said, avoiding all the messy details. "The contract remained the same—guard the prisoners."

  "Your actions on Halo appear… heartless to many," Noam said. "And when added to the Guard’s actions on New Keif and Faithful, sadistic. You endangered innocent lives and killed every person who invaded the building. The ’black’ in Black Guard no longer applies to your uniform but has taken on the meaning of ’death’."

  Their faces seemed to collectively become tense and their stares intense. The moment of truth, I realized. The whole point of this meeting. The answer they sought would determine my future. I sat quietly, letting my mind sort out my thoughts to find the truth of my actions. That would have to be enough. I would not lie.

  "The Jax contracts you write are very specific—protect a given individual or individuals. That becomes my duty—to protect the client. I feel I have a responsibility to achieve that commitment with the least risk to my team, while ensuring I maintain the trustworthiness of the Jax contract. These are not and have not been negotiable. Protecting others, choosing not to kill, or allowing a client to jeopardize that commitment is negotiable when it does not interfere with my duty," I said, and sat back and closed my eyes. Sometime later, Geller spoke.

  "We would like you both to stay in Gilboa city until we have had an opportunity to consider your comments. Accommodations have been arranged for you in guest quarters."

  * * *

  That afternoon I decided to go into the city. Dressed in my Guard uniform, since I had no other clothes, I toured the city, wandering through shopping areas, eating in restaurants, and visiting museums. The people I met were friendly but appeared apprehensive around me; whereas, people interacting with the men and women in army and navy uniforms didn’t seem to have the same reaction. They were more… relaxed around them. I wondered if it were the black uniform, the Black Guard reputation, or me. I decided I would have to make an effort to integrate into Jax society. In reality, the military had been my only contact since I was six years old. The Guard was family, but I needed some social life and outside interests. To that end, I would need civilian clothes and Hada’s help.

  * * *

  On the third day, Wexler and I were notified the committee wanted us at one p.m. When we arrived, we were shown to the same room.

  "We’ve spent the last two days going over your reports and considering your actions in light of what you told us, Captain Sapir," Geller said after we sat. "Our session with you was very instructive and disturbing. Commander Wexler has always been nervous about dragons, and I now appreciate why. You appear to see the contract from multiple perspectives—the Jax, Guard, client, subordinates, adversaries, those caught in the middle, and even third party observers—and act in a manner which attempts to balance those perspectives. As you said, if the client gets killed, we will be viewed as having failed even if you all die fighting to save his life. And although we may be blameless in a court of law if a client is killed doing something not covered by the contract, the world would blame us. Consequently, kidnapping a client or threatening to quit a contract may be reasonable responses in certain circumstances, but do we want to suggest that option to the average team leader?"

  "There is also the disturbing evolution of the Black Guard. Traditionally, the Guard provides building security to one or more of its residents. You appear to have changed that to providing individual security independent of the location. That is far more complex and dangerous," Lerman interjected.

  "Commander Wexler, we remain concerned with the evolution of the Black Guard. Although it has enhanced the overall Jax image, it has given the Guard a phoenix-like status that is going to involve more risk. That means correspondingly more deaths in a branch of the military that produces the fewest recruits. And you cannot compensate by lowering your standards since your present reputation is a result of your selection process," Geller said, then turned her gaze on me. "We invited Captain Sapir here to determine whether her results were because of her Guard training, her personality, or because she has achieved dragon status. And in the end, to decide whether we want her brand of thinking. We have concluded she acted appropriately for the circumstances and Guard training played a significant part in her actions. But we remain undecided as to whether it’s her personality or whether other dragons would have made the same or similar decisions."

  "These are critical questions for you, Commander Wexler, in making assignments and for us in accepting contracts," Noam said when Geller paused. "In fact, we have a proposal in front of us right now for the Guard which is again nonstandard but consistent with Captain Sapir’s previous assignments. What do you think, Dragon Sapir?"

  "Tradition and duty have always been the cornerstone of the Jax military. More so in the Guard, where tradit
ion and duty have been considered equivalent—one and the same. To me they are separate and duty has the priority. Duty is not only our commitment to the client as stated and implied in the contract but to the members of the Guard responsible for the contract. Unfortunately, tradition tends to minimize duty. If you are going to accept additional risk, then the commitment to the client and the Guard must be equal."

  "What do you mean?"

  "We must consider our various options and choose the solution that meets our commitment to the client and appears to present the least risk to the Guard. Splitting my team at Lanzhou is an example. Although I lost half my team, I saved half by leaving the governor’s estate while honoring the intent of our contract."

  "You didn’t do that at New Keif," Noam said. "It seems like you put our contract first."

  "Not true, sir. I considered several alternatives: teaming with the army to clear the buildings, choosing to clear a room at a time, staying in the administration building and clearing the second floor, and using the leap-frogging technique. In the end, I decided the leap-frogging technique represented the least risk to the Guard."

  "A Guard died," Lerman said after checking his tabletop tablet. "I’m surprised more didn’t."

  "The Guard’s death was bad luck—a lucky shot by one of the rebels. If we had the ability to run that scenario ten times, I believe more than half the time, no one would have died. The technique is effective because it is so fast the enemy doesn’t have time to organize, and they panic."

  "What about Faithful? You honored a very bad contract and took a huge risk." Noam asked.

  "I threatened to leave unless Imum Kelebek renegotiated the contract and agreed to help me prepare for the attempted breakout by the United Freelands. That made the contract doable and greatly minimized the risk to the Guard. We are in a killing profession and cannot eliminate our people getting killed. But we owe them the best chance of succeeding with minimum loss of life, if for no other reason than they are difficult to replace." That they should understand, I mused.