by Jessie Wolf
There are times when having such a large staff can be a real pain in the ass. Looking over at Alice for some kind of help she gives this look of go for it. “Very well, it seems I need to have a talk with my head Master Engineer, but yes everything you have deduced is true. Was this the deciding factor in your decisions?”
“No, my Lady, in fact it had just sweetened the deal for us. The fact is none us can afford the coast of rebuilding our units. As such we really have no other choice.” This very blunt statement of fact came from someone I was not expecting, Major Cain. He of all those here had the most advantage for holding out for an independent contract.
Looking around the room I could see the truth of the matter clear as day. These units had been savaged in the fighting and were now no longer viable entities. “Very well, you have my permission to proceed with Operation Rebirth. There is only one condition on this. All enlistment contracts must be for a minimum of three years. After that if you want to leave you can, but you won’t be crippling my House Military while we rebuild it. Is this acceptable?”
I waited for someone to disagree but it never came. “Very well then, ladies and gentlemen. I’ll leave it to you to hammer out the details.” They all stand up and shake my hand on the deal. Then as one they bow to me and Alice and head for the door. Before Colonel Fujiyama leaves though he comes over to Alice and hands her a piece of paper.
“Lady Allison, here are your discharge orders. I’m sorry but I can’t have a member of the House Family serving in its Military. Now when you come back with your diploma I’ll be more than be willing to give you a full commission in my command.” I can see the hurt look in her face when she hears of her discharge.
“Hay, don’t look so sad, pussycat. In two short years you’ll have that. Besides you’re a member of the Wave Dancers, remember. Hell, I’m not even a member of the House military.” When Alice hears this she looks to Colonel Fujiyama for confirmations. He nods his head yes and smiles.
“I look forward to the day when I can pin those Captains bars on your shoulders. Now, I believe there is a squad of Jump Infantry waiting to escort you ladies on your trip so I won’t keep any longer.” With that he bows and leaves us.
“Sorry about your discharge, honey.” I pull Alice into a very tight hug.
“I knew things would change when we got married, but I thought I would be able to stay in the House Military, at least.” She was almost in tears. “Now, I don’t even have that. If I want to be a soldier I have to go back to school. It’s not fair.”
“Pussycat, listen to me, please?” when she nods her head I tell her. “As my wife the only position that you could hold is as an officer. You no longer have the qualifications so you have to go back and get them. Even then the only unit you can serve in is the Wave Dancers. But there are ways around everything; we just need to figure them out. Because if you think I’m going to be some kind of figurehead you need your head examined.” When she hears this she starts to giggle. She realizes that I’m way too much of a Hellcat to just sit back and be some figurehead.
“Now. Dry your eyes. We need to get moving, we still have a lot to do today.” I watch as she pulls herself together. Once I’m sure she is ready we head to the front of the house. To go meet our escort for the day.
You can imagine our surprise when we find three light transports and a hover car waiting for us. When I look around for the officer in charge I get an even bigger surprise. “Lieutenant Silver Leaf, I thought I had assigned you to the House Com Unit?”
The giggle she gives me plus the smile says that she is happy to be where she is now. “My Lady that was true until you told Captain Ravenswood to form the new recon team. It seems no one else had the needed skills to be their commanding officer, but me. So when they asked if I would be its O.I.C. I just couldn’t pass it up.” She was so happy with this new assignment that she was practically bouncing. I know she had manipulated it so she would get this assignment. But she was just so happy I didn’t have it in my heart to take it away from her.
“Ok, then Lieutenant, let’s get this show on the road. We have a lot of land to survey, and not a whole lot of time to get it done in.”
Chapter 13
Later that evening…
It had been a long, hot day in the field. It had taken almost fifteen hours to survey and lay out the final plans for the cemetery. Sure they had taken a break around noon local time for lunch, but it was still a trying day. As the convoy pulled back into the compound, both Alice and I were worn out. I was surprised when Dana also disembarked from the lead vehicle. She turned to the driver with a smile. “Thank you, Marks, I’ll let you know if we need you and the rest of the recon team in the morning at P.T.”
“Yes ma’am. I’ll let the sergeant know.” He then put the hover car in gear and headed for the motor pool.
When she turns and sees me standing there she just smiles. “I may be the recon platoon leader now, but I remember the deal I made with you, my Lady. I won’t back out of it. I know that with one word you can kick me out of your House military. So until you say I can move back in with the regular single officers I’ll stand by our deal.”
“Ok, Dana, I just want to give you a choice in what you do with your life. Remember, you are no one’s property. I don’t care if you’re a citizen of High Winds now or not.”
Her smile is one of the brightest I have ever seen her have at the moment. “Lady Maiha, you have given me back my life, my freedom, and my soul. The least I can do is give my loyalty to House Nakatoma. If I have to stay in the main house to learn how to be a girl at the hands of those demons you call maids, so I can do that then so be it.” She then steps in close and gives me a hug. I can feel her bra through her shirts. Yup she is adjusting to her new role in life just fine. When she releases me I smile at her. With that she bounds up the steps and into the house.
“You did a good thing, kitten. I can tell you were worried about her, but Dana belongs with the recon platoon.” When I look at Alice I can tell she is telling me the truth. “Besides, did you see the way Combs and Tyler were watching her back. We may need to promote them to sergeant just to keep the other recon members from giving them a hard time.”
I think back to the way they had been right there with her the entire day. “You’re right; I need to take care of that tonight. I’ll send the order over to Colonel Fujiyama before we go to dinner. That way they’ll get their promotion at P.T. in the morning. Come on let’s go get cleaned up and changed. I don’t know about you but I’ve been sweeting like a pig all day and now I stink.”
Alice throws her nose in the air and acts like some stuck up prima donna. “I’ll have you know that Ladies, do not sweat, we glow and we do not stink, we are aromatic.” She tries to hold her pose, but fails totally. She just starts to giggle, and then I start to giggle until we are both laughing at the silliness of it all.
Aping her and wave my hand in front of my face. “Oh of course. I do hate to be so aromatic.” This of course gets her to laughing even harder. I grab her hand and pull her on into the house. No sense in standing around outside acting like a pair of loons, the Household staff already think I’m nuts, no need to give them any more ammunition.
As we enter the main entry way we run into Kina. The look she gives us is one of those ‘you’ve been misbehaving and I know it.’ We both look down at the floor and try to get control over our laughter. When Kina doesn’t say anything we just walk away struggling to keep a straight face. Once we are around the corner and out of her sight we take off running down the hallway to our room. Once inside and with the door closed we both burst out laughing uncontrollably. After a while we finally settle down and notify our maids that we’re home. Gin told us that we were expected to have dinner with our family.
An hour later we were sitting down to dinner. As we eat we discussed what we had done that day. My sisters talked about how they had helped with the repairs and rebuilding. While Alice and I told everyone of our trip out to the ce
metery site. After dinner we returned to our rooms and went to bed. After a round of hot and steamy love making we fell asleep.
When we woke up the next morning it was basically a repeat of yesterday, except this time we just went ahead and dressed in our B.D.U.s. this would be our daily routine for the next two weeks. With just one change. Instead of doing survey work, we actually started work on interring the dead. I had the compounds artists working on headstones for the dead. With the help from the Death Dealer Combat Engineers Battalions we were able to get all of the dead interred. The Master Engineer was able to get the compound wall extended to where it followed the property line and enclosed the cemetery the way I wanted.
In the center of the cemetery was the monument to the battle that was fought. The armor plate was placed in the center of a slab of solid black granite. Around the outside edge were the names of the units that had fought here on that terrible day. I don’t know how they did it but someone had engraved the armor plate.
Let it be known that on the 10th day of the 5th month in the 741st year of the Empire. That on the grounds of the Nakatoma Family estates their House Military plus nine mercenary companies along with four Divisions of the Imperial Death Dealers stood in the face of treachery. As Seven High Family Houses rose up in revolt against the Empire for the soul purpose of subjugating the people of the Empire.
There are times when men must stand for the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In these times it becomes self-evident that to do nothing is to condemn all mankind to darkness. These men and women entombed here on this hallowed ground paid the highest price for our freedom. We as their benefactors’ must insure that their sacrifice was not in vain. We are entrusted with a most sacred duty. Let us not fail them as we move forward through time.
The day of the dedication ceremony there were over three thousand people there. They had come from all over Hades to be there. I had mama and Top preside over it, I couldn’t face all those people. I knew that it was because of my orders and my mistakes that most of them were buried here. As I walked along the pathways I found myself thinking back to that terrible day and wondering if I could have done something different.
“I see that you still second guess yourself, Death.” I have not heard his voice in person in almost twenty years. I turn around to confirm my suspicions. The fact that He is here, tells me He has a job for me. One that He doesn’t trust normal channels to deliver.
“Your Majesty, I assume that you’re referring to my grandfather.” I quickly perform a clumsy curtsy. I’ll admit that I’m still working on some of the finer points of being a lady.
The Emperor chuckles at my statement before looking around as if to point out that we are alone. “I know exactly who I’m talking to, Lady Maiha. Of all my Death Dealers you are one of the finest to have ever worn the Imperial Black. You may look, move and sound different now, but I can still see that commanding presence that always defined you old friend.”
“I never could fool you, your Majesty. As for second guessing myself, well I’ll always do that. I have to find where things went wrong and make sure they don’t happen again.” Turn to look out over the rows of head stones. They’re nothing fancy just a simple pillar with the name, unit id, and date on them. Each row has twenty five headstones. Everyone behind another to form a Column, in turn forming a square twenty-five by twenty-five. A perfect formation of headstones reminiscent of how they lived their lives. All brothers in arms, both in life and now death. “I owe that much to them. I owe these men and women more than I can ever repay. It is because of them that you still have your throne and I my family.” I reach up and wipe a tear from my cheek. I don’t know when I started crying, but I was not ashamed of it.
“And that, James, is why you are the first among my Death Dealers. What you have done here this day is something a long time in coming. It is why I am here. That and to thank you for everything your family has done in its service to the Empire. I wish that did not have to lean so hard on the Families like yours, but thanks to what you have done here on Hades I have been able to ferret out the cancer that has plagued my reign for the past forty years. I have been able to arrest and try all those who have been using our laws to get away with crimes against their own people, in the disguise of protecting the rights of the individual Systems. Thanks to you and your new family I will finally be able to return the Empire to the ideals of our founding fathers.”
I spin around and face him. I’m pissed but I know that lashing out will do me no good, and more harm. For years I have been pushing for him to make the reforms he is now talking about. Before I say one word though I stop and preform the centering exercises Matsu and mama had taught me. When I finally look back up at him I can see remorse in his eye. It doesn’t stop me though. I raise my arm and point out towards the row upon row of grave marks. “Before you thank me and my family, your Majesty, you need to thank them. They paid the price for your opportunity. You want to reward me. Don’t waste it. Make them proud of you, not me.” I start to walk past him to go join my family. I stop beside him before I leave him standing there.
“I’ll protect your daughter sir, but remember if you fail them, I will come for you. I have far more supporters than you would like, many who would like nothing more than to place my family on the throne. That is not a threat, your Majesty, it is fact. I have always been a loyal soldier and citizen of the Empire, but I will no longer stand by while you do nothing to improve the lives of its citizens. Hear me now Emperor, I was but a single life from joining them. I would have been more than willing to topple your reign if it would have improved the lives of the people. You have this one chance old friend, don’t waste it,” I tell him this through clenched teeth.
I know my anger is close to the surface. He has to know I am not bluffing. When he looks at me I can tell he understands. It is pure and simple, he either gets the job done or I will remove him. With that I move to leave him standing there looking out at all the graves of those who died protecting his Empire.
“You always were an uncompromising son-of-bitch, Star Jumper.” he says.
“No more than you, King Snake, no more than you.” I tossed back at him over my shoulder as I walk away.
“Do you even have a name for the cemetery?” he calls out to me.
I stop and look back at him, then decide to tell him. “Fiddlers Green”
I quickly move to go find my family after that. I don’t want him to see the tears in my eyes. I get my emotions under control by the time I find them by the monument at the entrance of the cemetery. I stand back as mama, Top, plus a few others all give speeches of how and why this cemetery was built. Toward the end though the Emperor shows up with his bodyguards. I watch as he steps in front all those gathered here.
When he finally begins I am surprised by what he says. “I came here today to thank the members of House Nakatoma and all they have done for the Empire. However just a little while ago I was reminded of something by one of those family members. The young lady is as stubborn as her grandfather and just as blunt and honest. She reminded me that I should be thanking the fallen who we are here to honor today. For it is they who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. When I asked her what she had named this cemetery she only said Fiddlers Green, and walked off. Far too often the men and women of our armed forces go unthanked for their sacrifices. That will no longer be the case here. I will never again forget what was gained here today or take it for granted. Now that the Death Dealers have a place to rest in peace I will never again fail in my duty to them and all those who paid the price for our peace.” When he finished he merely walked over to the monument. One of his bodyguards handed him a bouquet of flowers that he placed at the base of the armor plate.
I stood there with mama, Top, and my family for a short time after he walked away. “Do you think he’ll follow through?” I asked of no one in particular.
“Yes, my dear, I believe he will.” I turn and look at daddy as a smile across’
his face. “I doubt he’ll forget the ever so blunt threat you gave him. He knows that of all those who would challenge him for the throne, you are the one with the greatest chance to succeed.”
“No that is where you’re wrong daddy. I will never seek the throne for myself. However I will place someone who is able to get the job done right on it in place of him.” I said with all of the conviction I could muster. “I have no desire to rule, hell I don’t even want to be the System Governor for The Death Gates. I do it because I have been asked to, but I will not enjoy it.”
“Sometimes child, we have to be that which we most hate. Remember the words of the Master Tomasuko Nakatomie. ‘In all things great and small forge your finest steel.’” Mama told me as she placed her arm around my shoulders. “Come, it is time for us to tour the grounds and give our respects.”
For the next hour we walked through the cemetery paying our respects to the fallen. As we moved through the grounds the members of the Death Dealers and mercenary companies would come up to us and thank us for what we had done here. The best one came from General Star. “When I first became a Dealer I gave up on having a place like this to rest when the time came. Now I couldn’t think of any other place for my final resting than Fiddlers Green.” Later that evening at dinner Alice and the others talked about how beautifully it was laid out and how peaceful it was. After dinner Alice and I retired to our rooms.
The Next morning…
We had an unexpected guest at breakfast, the Emperor. For the next half hour we discussed his daughter and her two friends. We went over her security and theirs. Even though the very obvious threat was past she was still in danger from the other Houses. There was still a good amount of political infighting going on.
While Alice and I were not too happy about going back to school, it was pointed out to us that my sisters would need help in protecting the princess. So to make it interesting for us Alice and I sat down and laid out our courses that we would study. We wound up picking all the advanced courses they offered. The more we looked at what we were studying we realized that Fuyuko and the twins were picking the same ones.
