by Cary Caffrey
No one would tolerate anything less than complete neutrality from Daedalus. Learning of their attempt against Kimura would be the excuse many corporations were looking for to finally move against the giant company and break its hold over the relay technology. Learning of the bribes and payoffs would be their undoing.
"This makes us even, you realize," Joffrey said, looking up in the direction of the Relay. "My debt to your father is repaid after this."
"Of course. But let us not forget our agreement…"
"Yes, yes—no one will know of this Relay. Not our Board, not the shareholders."
Hitomi looked up at him slyly. "No one can ever know, Joffrey. Unless you wish to see how widely and how quickly I can make copies of that file available. People would not be pleased with you."
"You have my word, Hitomi. No one will find out about the Pegasi Relay."
She patted his hand. "That's all I can ask."
"You know, I could have just left you here," he said with mock indignation.
"Ah, but that's why I insisted you come along. Now, let's enjoy this wonderful sunshine. I may even arrange to take a dip. Perhaps with your assistance…" Hitomi held her hand up to him.
* * *
Five of the young ones raced along the beach, leaping over Sigrid and Suko, who lay basking in the afternoon sun. All five girls cleared them easily, but kicked up a good amount of sand, spraying Sigrid for the most part.
"Hey!" Sigrid was still dripping wet from her swim and the sand stuck to her bare skin. "Oh, look, they got sand everywhere." Sigrid brushed the sand from her stomach and thighs, aided a great deal more than was necessary by Suko, whose hands seemed to linger on various parts of Sigrid's exposed flesh.
Sigrid laughed. "Not here," she protested, but no one seemed to be taking any notice.
"Come on. Let's go wash that sand off."
Hand-in-hand, the two girls walked back toward the water.
After more than a month on Medea, Suko still claimed she was unable to swim, but Sigrid knew she was only pretending.
"No! You have to save me," she said, splashing Sigrid and diving into her arms. "See. I'm sinking." Suko kicked and splashed and Sigrid held her in her arms, floating easily in the salty water.
It had taken a while to adjust to life on Medea—strange to have to adjust to the idea that no one was trying to kill them—but the last month had been the most pleasant and peaceful of Sigrid's life. And no one seemed eager to leave once the new Relay was complete—not even Honey and Cherry. Sigrid had discovered their real names were Stefani and Katherine, and they were content to stay, at least for a while. They were further down the beach, the surf washing over their toes as they collected the little shells that washed up in the sand. Rodney was eagerly pointing out various aspects of the marine life to the two girls, who were rapt with fascination. Like most of them, Honey and Cherry had probably never even seen an ocean up close before.
"Hello!" Karen called from the beach, arms waving.
Both girls waved back and swam toward the shore. As they strolled back through the surf, another splashing group of girls ran giggling by.
"Oh my," Karen said, jumping out of the way. Always well-dressed, Karen had on a little bikini, in deep burnt-orange and red. It was daringly cut and very brief, but still she blushed at the sight of the two girls before her who wore nothing at all. "Why is it I suddenly feel a tad overdressed?"
Sigrid and Suko laughed.
Suko said, "Sorry. We didn't exactly get a chance to pack our togs."
Karen blinked back her confusion.
Sigrid translated for her. "She means our swimsuits."
"Oh…Well, when in Rome," Karen said. Steeling her nerves, she slipped out of her bathing suit, still feeling a little self-conscious. "Well—that's actually quite exhilarating!"
"We're just glad you're finally up and about," Suko said.
"Dr. Garrett worked wonders. Look, you can't even see where the bullets went in."
A loud rumbling emanated from somewhere above followed by a telltale sonic boom; a ship had just entered the atmosphere. Sigrid froze and her head jerked up, scanning the heavens for the source.
She felt Suko's hand tighten around her own. "They found us."
"They couldn't have," Karen said.
"No, wait. Look!" Sigrid pointed up at the ship as it feathered its way down, circling ever lower. Zooming in, she could see now that it was just a shuttle, definitely a mercenary vessel. She could clearly make out the markings of the Athena Corp. "That's one of Ms. Lawther's ships."
Sigrid grabbed both their hands and towed them quickly in the direction of the landing pads, stopping briefly to gather up their clothes.
"Gah!" Karen said, reaching for her discarded bathing suit, before hurrying after them.
They arrived in time to see the shuttle settling in on its landing struts. All the young ones from the beach had run up to witness the spectacle, even Hitomi and Joffrey had joined them on the rise. Sigrid was just pulling her shirt back on when the lower airlock opened and a very familiar redheaded girl leapt out.
"Leta!" Sigrid and Suko screamed, jumping forward and gathering her in a rib-crushing hug. "We've been so worried about you. Thank God you're okay." Leta looked sharp in her Mercenary Naval Cadet uniform.
"Us?" Leta said. "What about you! We all heard about Scorpii."
"We? Who's with you?" Suko asked.
"Why—all of us!"
Leta stepped out of the way, and sure enough, the rest of the girls from Alcyone began to emerge from the ship, each of them staring in wonder at the stretch of sandy beach and inviting waters, framed by swaying palms and tall grass.
"Holy…" one of them said, gaping, while the girl behind her shoved her along.
Marylyn Lawther stepped out of the airlock. "Marylyn!" Hitomi cried, wheeling herself forward and extending her hand to her friend.
She wore a ship's uniform in her clan's colors of red and gold. Sigrid noted the rank insignia of admiral on her collar. She also wore a large black sidearm on her hip. Sigrid expected she'd be quite capable of using it, as well. She was even more of a commanding presence than she'd been on Crucis.
Marylyn took Hitomi's hands in her own. "Hitomi. What a wonderful spot you've chosen."
"I've had my eye on it for some time. You remember Sigrid, of course."
"Sigrid, so nice to see you again."
Marylyn Lawther held out her hand to Sigrid who bowed deeply instead. "Lady Lawther."
Marylyn chuckled. "Oh, you and your manners."
"I can't thank you enough for this," Hitomi said. "I trust you didn't have too much trouble with the authorities."
"Oh, posh. We girls must stick together. And no, we intercepted the transport exactly where you said. I'd like to claim that I rescued them, but by the time we arrived your girls had the situation well in hand. I don't think those CTF soldiers knew what they were taking on. The only problem we had was trying to convince the girls we weren't there to harm them as well. Your girl here…" she said, nodding to Leta, "…proved invaluable. Without her I think they may very well have destroyed us! I'm just glad you decided to place some of them in our care at the Naval Academy."
"I knew you'd take good care of them."
"You should be very proud of them, Hitomi. The things I've seen…it's no wonder they've caused such a stir."
"I am proud. Very. I owe them my life," she said, looking directly at Sigrid. "Now, come. We have much to discuss. I've prepared a delicious dinner for all of us. I think you'll be quite pleased."
"Wonderful. I'm absolutely ravenous."
The two ladies headed off toward the larger of the two buildings that had been completed, while Sigrid led the others to their new quarters. Like the Annex, each of the girls would have their own accommodations; Hitomi was busy building a sprawling new complex to house all of them, with room for many, many more.
It was difficult to get them all settled. None of them would leave Sigrid's side, demand
ing to know what had happened on Alcyone and Scorpii.
Sigrid gave in. She gathered everyone in the large common room so she could tell them all at once instead of over and over again. They'd heard of the attacks, but knew very few of the details. Sigrid told them everything—all of them listened without saying a word, although there were several gasps when Sigrid told them of her encounter with Sara, and more when she described the destruction of the elevator over Panama and their narrow escape. All the while she spoke, Suko held her hand, especially when Sigrid described the rescue of her and Khepri and the new girls from Scorpii.
The girls were extremely angry to hear of Mei and the others who were killed in the attempts to reprogram them, even more so to find that Lei-Fei and Christi still suffered. Dr. Garrett was confident she could restore them, but it would take time. Dr. Farrington's work had been invasive and thorough, but also incredibly careless.
"We can't let this ever happen again," Leta said.
There was a murmuring of assent.
"But aren't we prisoners still?" another girl asked. "We're here—we may be safe—but will they ever let us leave?"
"Leave?" Khepri asked. "Where would we go? Anywhere we go they'll hunt us down and kill us. Or worse. I saw what they did to the others. That's not going to happen to me."
The girls started talking all at once, arguing over whether to stay or go, or whether they even had a choice in the matter.
Sigrid listened for a few minutes before raising her hands, asking for silence. "You're all free to go." A hush fell over the room at that. "You're also more than welcome to stay. You won't be safe on Earth, or anywhere else right now. But I promise, whatever you choose, it will be your choice. No one will tell you what you can or can't do anymore."
"What about school?" one of the younger ones asked. Her name was Lilith and she was nearly twelve. "Do we still have to study?"
Sigrid smiled. "Yes. You still need to keep to your studies. Now more than ever. But you're all free." Sigrid glanced at Suko who was still holding onto her hand. "This is my home now. I know I'm staying right here, and I hope you all will too."
Lilith looked up at her. "Can we really go home?"
"I can answer that."
The gathering of girls turned to see Lady Hitomi enter the room, accompanied by Marylyn Lawther.
"Medea was never meant to be a prison. I'd rather hoped you'd find it a haven, a sanctuary. You will always be welcome here, regardless of whether you chose to leave or stay. When the Relay is complete we will take any of you that wish to back to Earth. But Sigrid is correct in her estimation of the danger. If you leave here, you will be hunted, and I fear I will not be able to protect you."
"You will also be welcome on Crucis," Marylyn offered. "The Guild can offer some protection."
"I want to go home!" one girl called out, and there were more rumblings of the same vein.
Sigrid felt her heart sink—what if they all left? What would happen to them?
"I'll stay," Suko said.
"Me too," Leta said.
Khepri stepped forward. "Think about what you're saying. If you leave, what kind of life will you have? Go see Lei-Fei, see what they did to Christi. Then tell me you still want to leave. Sigrid saved my life. I say we stay."
"I'll stay," Lilith said, putting her hand in Sigrid's.
Sigrid gave it a little squeeze, feeling her spirits rise.
One of the girls in the back stood up. Her name was Una, and like Leta, she wore one of the Naval Cadet uniforms. "Sod it. I say we stay. What do we have to go back to anyway? We're with you, Sigrid!"
A cheer rose from their ranks, and Sigrid was nearly crushed under the surge as the animated young ones crowded around her.
Suko laughed. "I don't think any of the little ones will ever leave you."
Sigrid smiled and raised her hands. The girls grew silent again. "Some of you may change your minds when you find out what I have in mind. Alcyone is gone, and it won't be safe for any of us on Earth—not as long as there are men out there who want to dominate us…and girls like us."
"Like us?" Suko asked.
Sigrid nodded. "We know we're not the only ones. The Council knows it, and clearly others do as well. They failed trying to capture us, but now they know what to look for. It's only a matter of time before they look for the others like us. With your help, I plan to stop them. We'll need to be ready. We'll need to train. The young ones will need to be taught. And I'll need volunteers to help bring any girls we find back here."
Hitomi looked up at her, intrigued and very impressed.
"Forgive me, Mistress, I know I haven't discussed any of this with you."
"By all means, Sigrid. I think it's a marvelous idea. All my resources will be at your disposal, of course."
"Thank you, Mistress."
"And for the last time, call me Hitomi."
Sigrid laughed. "Yes, Hitomi."
* * *
"You've changed," Suko said. She lay sideways on their bed, covered only by the edge of one of the soft white sheets. The windows were open—they were always open, as no glassed enclosures seemed to be necessary on Medea. Even at night, the cooler temperatures were still quite comfortable.
Sigrid stood and stretched, then wandered to the window, where she breathed deep of the salty air and let the cool breeze caress her body. The light of three of Medea's sister-moons shone down, bathing her skin in a pale glow of light.
"Well, I don't feel very different. I see the girls and the way they look at me. I'm never sure what to say. I only know I don't want to let them down."
Suko laughed. "But don't you see—they do look to you. Even Hitomi. We all see how she listens to you."
"I never meant to tell anyone what to do."
"And you don't. You just say what needs to be said."
"It wasn't my intention to take charge."
"Sigrid, we trust you. You lead by example."
Suko rose from the bed and moved slowly to Sigrid, slipping her arms around her waist and holding her close. Her eyes were playful as she made a show of looking her up and down.
"What?" Sigrid asked, blushing.
"My new sensory modules must be out of sync—I was sure you'd grown taller."
"Oh!" Sigrid laughed and pinched the soft area of Suko's bottom.
"Hey!"
Sigrid leaned back against the low ledge, pulling Suko closer to her, absorbing the softness of her skin and the warmth of her body. "You shouldn't tease. I'm far too fragile right now." She tilted her head back, letting Suko's lips fall against hers, only coming up for air after a few minutes.
"They say the Relay will be done in days. Will you be leaving then?"
Sigrid nodded. "I have to. I'm not going to sit back wondering what the Council is up to. The next time someone moves against us I plan on knowing well in advance."
"See! You even think like a general."
"If I do, it's just the programming."
Suko shook her head. "If that were true, then we'd all be thinking the same thing. I think it's wonderful. I feel safe knowing you're looking out for us."
Suko leaned forward to kiss her again, but Sigrid pulled her head back and flashed a sly smile. "You do! Then who's looking out for me?"
"Who do you think? Now shut up and kiss me already."
"Now who's being commanding?"
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Epilogue
June 22, 2348
It had been a very good day.
Randal Gillings sat back in the comfortable chair behind his desk as he scanned the report his attaché had just brought to him. Outrage over the attack and destruction of the Panama Lift facility, combined with news of the apparent 'rebellion' on Scorpii, had fueled calls for increased defense spending. And with the loss of the thirty-six ships at Scorpii, those calls had been upgraded to demands for immediate action.
Coran Industries had personally signed a contract to deliver seventy-eight new front line ships, with options for
hundreds more. His shareholders would be rich, and Coran stood to surpass even Daedalus as the single most powerful company in the Federation. His position as Chairman of the Council would not be challenged for decades to come. There would be a Draft to recruit new personnel for the CTF forces, and Coran's own workforce would also need to be increased tenfold. He was already being hailed as the architect for the New Society by the news readers. Of course, Coran had supplied the services with the appropriate copy to read.
Yes, it had been a very good day.
So why didn't he feel better? Gillings frowned and poured another whiskey from the decanter on his desk. He neglected to offer one to his attaché who sat before him. The man was efficient, but he was excessively timid, and Gillings wondered why he hadn't yet fired the man. Relatives.
He brooded again on why his mood was so foul. The answer was simple. Andraste. Those little girls had thwarted his latest attempt to appropriate Hitomi's technology. Twenty-one girls had been delivered personally by the Kimura Forces, and yet those girls had escaped. But not on their own—they had been aided.
Gillings stared hard at his attaché. "You're sure it was her—Lawther."
His aide squirmed uncomfortably. "I can't say if it was her personally, sir, but it seems they were definitely aided by the Mercenary Guild."
"Which clan?"
"Uh—all of them, sir."
"And you have no idea where they've gone?"
"No, sir. Daedalus has so far refused to divulge any information regarding their destination. We even offered double the usual amount of the bribes."
"Compensation," Gillings reminded him. "Bribes are illegal." He took another gulp of the whiskey and refilled the glass. That news was somewhat disturbing. It wasn't like Daedalus to refuse him information. He'd have to have words with Joffrey, and soon.
