“Thank you, Captain. I hope the prime minister is not cross. Regardless of the species, what do you think the odds are that some species will show up?”
“We feel it is very good odds that you will have an invading force in the near future,” the captain replied.
“That is enough, just knowing that,” Ben said. “Is there any chance that His Highness might have a couple of those battle cruisers sitting around with a bored crew who would like to see some action?”
The captain actually laughed. “You are a bold human, Reaper. Maybe my brother can find an opportune time to ask for you.”
“That is more than we could hope for. Safe travels, Captain.”
“Safe travels to you and your crew, Reaper.” The captain cut the vid off.
Ben had a whole bridge full of people looking at him. Some had walked in behind him — the major and Emily.
The major was thinking. Emily was smiling and so was the captain. She looked at Reaper and asked, “What are your orders, oh mighty one?”
“Bring me food and wine, wench,” Reaper joked. He had been sitting in the captain’s chair while she was standing next to it during the conversation with the Allond. He looked up at her and smiled. Her crew heard a smack and an “ouch.”
“Get out of my chair, Mr. Ambassador.” The crew heard her laugh.
“The rest of you better never think about doing anything like that,” O’Shaughnessy warned, “or I’ll lock you up in the brig. This one here is getting a pass, but only this time. XO, you have the bridge. I believe the general and the admiral are waiting. Reaper, we patched this through to the conference room vid so they heard the whole thing. I’m going to enjoy this vid-com.”
“Damn, Captain,” Ben said, “I thought we were friends. You’ve even seen me naked.” There was another smack, and he just grinned. “Ouch! I’m filing a complaint with some damn body.” He had said it loud enough that half the bridge had heard everything. The captain had a very lovely rosy color to her face.
The major was on his heels. “I know I told you I would handle the general and admiral, but that was before you started working deals with galactic super powers.”
The captain was next to him. “Looks like you’re on your own, big boy,” she said, and winked at him.
Emily decided to throw her two cents in. “Looks like I have missed out on a lot,” she said.
“Don’t worry Em,” Ben said. “I have the feeling my days are numbered, and there won’t be much to miss out on in the future.”
The doors to the conference room opened and they filed in, taking seats along the table.
“Well, that was all interesting,” the admiral started out. “So am I to understand you are also in charge of our Military?”
“Someone needs to be,” Ben fired back, getting serious. “You sure as hell don’t know what you are doing. The intel your department provides is usually weeks old by the time we get it. Lots of good people have died because of you, Admiral. It’s obvious the only fighting going on in your office is your chair straining under your fat ass. Why are you sharing in our debriefings, anyway? We rescued your girl. Go find some more good soldiers to kill.”
The room was very quiet. He didn’t think anyone was breathing. The major grabbed his arm and led him out of the room. She looked upset, but not angry.
“I’ll talk to you later,” she said quietly. “Go take a nap or something useful.”
He decided he would find Natalia and spend some time with her. His first stop was the captain’s quarters, but she didn’t seem to be there. He walked on the bridge. They all smiled at him.
“XO, could you locate Natalia for me please.”
“She is down in the brig, Reaper,” the XO replied. He raised an eyebrow at him. “I think she is visiting the prisoner.”
“Thank you, XO. I may be taking up permanent residence there myself,” Ben said and left the bridge. XO Holmes shook his head. He believed him.
“Reaper, how are you?” the sergeant asked, down in the brig.
“I’m good, Sarge,” Ben answered. “I understand Natalia is here somewhere.”
“Yes, follow me. She’s with Lorelei decorating her cell, I think.”
Natalia must have heard his voice. She was flying through the air like a missile. She was in a habit now of launching herself from six feet away. It meant she was getting stronger. He caught her in a hug and she kissed his cheek.
“How does it look?” She motioned with her arm around the room. There were a table and chairs and a privacy screen. There were also pictures on the wall that Natalia must have drawn.
“It looks very nice,” Ben said. “You two want to go get something to eat?”
Natalia immediately said, “Yes!” Lorelei looked at him.
“You’re welcome to join us if your jailers will let you.”
He looked over at the sergeant, who nodded. Lorelei grinned. “Let’s go.”
They made their way to the officers’ mess. They loved Natalia there. The whole ship loved her and seemed to have adopted her. For what she had lived through, her sweet and kind demeanor didn’t seem right, but he was happy she was.
They went through the line and filled their plates. Lorelei knew everyone from working with them in the kitchen. They all waved and said hello to her. Natalia still ate like she was starving. He could only smile watching her.
They were sitting across from him. He noticed a change in their facial expressions. They were watching something happening behind him. He kept eating. He saw the sergeant of the mess looking at him and motion his head then look down. The girls had stopped eating. Lorelei looked scared.
“Captain, I asked if I could come here with them,” she said. “The sergeant said I could.”
“I’m not here for you, Lorelei,” the sergeant of the mess said. “We are here for him.”
“Why?” Natalia started crying. “You can’t take him,” she said as she got up from the table.
Reaper looked at Lorelei and motioned to Natalia. She got up and wrapped her arms around her. “Come with me, Natalia, and let them sort this out,” she said.
The staff sergeant came out from behind the food line and helped Lorelei with Natalia. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s let the big people talk,” he said.
Reaper looked at Natalia. “Go with them. It will be okay. You can decorate my new room.”
“Stand up slowly,” he heard someone say. “Put your hands behind your head.”
He stood up but didn’t put his hands behind his head he held his tray of food with both hands. He looked the situation over. The captain had Lieutenant Jared and five marines, all armed. The major and Emily stood over by the entry to the mess watching. Lieutenant Aok was there also. He looked at her. Do you think you could get the gunship ready to go without getting caught? he thought.
Do you want me to go with you when you leave? I would be a criminal.
How about get it ready and you stay, he replied.
You don’t think they would figure out who helped you?
I’m sorry, E’Aria, I shouldn’t have asked. Do you think I should just give myself up?
It’s up to you, she replied. I believe you have lost the major as a friend and lover for now anyway. She is terribly torn and upset with you and herself. Whatever you do now may have an impact on whether you will ever be able to fix what you have broken. There are no guarantees either way. The admiral is hoping you will resist.
The major looked at Reaper and then looked at Lieutenant Aok. She looked back to Reaper as he sat his tray down. He put his hands behind his head. “Let’s go boys,” he said. “Just don’t do anything stupid. I have a long memory and they can’t hold me there forever.”
They put the shackles on him and took him to the brig. The sergeant’s eyes got wide when he saw who his new lodger was. They put him in the cell that the late Captain Rolo had occupied.
He lay on the bunk thinking about the people who had stood at the entrance when he was taken out in
chains. The captain had walked next to him. The major was speaking harshly to E’Aria. He stopped walking.
“Andrea! Leave her alone,” he said. The major turned to him with hurt in her eyes. Emily just stared at him. He smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders. E’Aria, go so if she decides to talk to you it will be more private. When she asks you what we talked about tell her the truth, but only if it’s just you two and no recordings. She blinked to let him know she understood.
He was nudged from behind and he took the hint to start walking again.
The captain was there but she wasn’t saying anything. He didn’t blame her. It was probably best to keep her head down while the bombs went off.
He lay there letting it run through his head. Then he thought he should decide what he would do when he got out. He should already be the owner of the gunship and the shuttle. He had E’Aria petition the Trillond government for co-ownership. Considering his current status with the Trillond government, they were happy to transfer title to him. He was a hero to one empire and a respected soldier to a new species whose empire dwarfed the Alliance. It just seemed he couldn’t do anything right with his own people. He had met the most beautiful woman and was crazy about her, but just couldn’t seem to work with her.
He needed to be working on his own. He could deliver freight and people with the small fleet he was putting together. They could make a good living from that. He would take Natalia to live with the Vander Hoyt’s and maybe Lorelei and Jen would want to work as part of the crew. He had been gone roughly over a month and was already in jail. He started thinking that maybe some of the misfits would be nearing the end of their enlistment soon. They would make good crewmen. He knew Andrea wouldn’t go anywhere, so he might as well forget about trying to reconcile with her if he was just going to leave.
He heard a sob and a sniffle. He looked to see Natalia and Lorelei standing at the bars. A second later the door popped open remotely and Natalia entered. Lorelei looked down the corridor and nodded. She pushed the cell door shut, locking it. She walked away looking sad. Natalia lay down next to Reaper and started crying. He held her, stroking her hair and talking softly. He told her everything would work out. He asked if she wanted to leave and go live in a house on a farm. He told her they were wonderful people and would love her. She could go to school and then to university if she wanted to. She was smiling through the tears now.
“When can we leave?” she asked.
“It will be a few weeks at least, but not too long,” Ben said. He asked her if she would like to work on a ship when she wasn’t in school. She got excited about that. She went to sleep and soon he did too.
Lorelei stood at the cell door looking at them. The major walked up and stood next to her. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes. Lorelei finally said something.
“You are the one that he is in love with, is that true?”
“Who told you that?”
“That child told me that, and she wouldn’t lie. She described you to me.”
“She is mistaken,” the major said coldly.
“I doubt that. You’re standing here, aren’t you?”
“He is part of my team, I just came to check on him.”
“That makes it harder, doesn’t it?” Lorelei said softly. “Being part of the team? He is a true leader. His decisions can be harsh, even deadly, but they are just. Then you see him holding a child he saved from a monster. The only reason that child can sleep at night is because he killed the monster. He had to do it to save her sanity. I was a pirate and we did some terrible things, but we treated each other better than you people treat your heroes. This whole ship owes their lives to him, I can tell you that. The Allond are powerful. They could have blown us to space dust, yet I hear he made friends with the prime minister and the captain of their God King’s flagship. I hope I am off this ship when they find out what you people have done to him.”
This was the most the major had ever heard Lorelei say. “You know of the Allond, Lorelei?”
“Yes, I know a little of them and enough to know to turn a ship in the other direction if they are around. I would never cross into their empire, even by accident.”
“They may make contact with us soon. Is it your belief he shouldn’t be locked up when they call?”
“You can do what you want,” Lorelei said. “But if he is here I want to take Natalia and be far away. If the rumor I heard is true, the captain of the ship fought side-by-side with Reaper and they are leaving a gift for him in the name of their God King. Major, what do you think? You don’t have to believe anything I’m telling you. Just examine the facts you know.”
Lorelei walked away and into her cell. She sat down to read. The major watched the pair in the cell sleep. She was lost in her own thoughts and didn’t see the captain walk in.
The captain stopped at Lorelei’s cell and asked about Natalia. She nodded her head toward Reaper’s cell. The captain stopped and stood next to the major. She saw Natalia in his arms asleep.
“Well, she’s probably in the safest place on the ship,” O’Shaughnessy said. “I didn’t expect him to give in so easily. Sometimes I can’t figure him out.”
“Join the club,” Andrea said.” He is the smartest, deadliest soldier I know, and he makes everyone love him in some way or another. The pirate over there just gave me a piece of her mind. She would probably try to kill us all if he told her to. Just a few weeks ago he was cutting her fingers off for information. Yet she says he is just and a great leader. I bet that child would kill us in our sleep if he told her to. Then there are those misfit marines of his. They don’t know he is in here. Even my two sergeants are pissed, but will keep it under wraps if they can.”
“Andrea, the whole ship knows where he is at,” the captain told her. “How many people saw us take him out in chains? Your lieutenant sent a message to her home world to have them pressure the military to release their hero.”
“Lorelei says that if the Allond find out we have him locked up they may blow us to tiny space debris.”
“I believe it, Major. I saw two 8-foot-tall intelligent beings look at him in awe. They invited him to dinner, not the rest of us. Just imagine if he went by himself; they would probably be giving him the battle cruisers he asked for. He and that captain would have had a blast. Commander Holmes told me he saved his favorite lieutenant by sticking his arm in the attacking lizard’s mouth. I bet he did that on purpose to test it out. Who do you know that would do that? The Allond saw that too and saw he wasn’t hurt. That armor he designed is something special. I am thinking about having the chief make some for every member of my crew. Fuck the expense.”
“Listen to you, you rebel,” the major said. “You’ve been around him too long. I bet you love him, don’t you Aisling? Everybody else does.”
“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. I’ve already told you I won’t interfere. You are my friend and have been for a long time.”
“Maybe if we get through this mission we can salvage what we have,” Andrea said. “I don’t know.”
“He loves you, Andrea. It doesn’t matter to him how many other people love him, it’s your love he wants. You can’t deal with who he is. It’s clear to everyone that he isn’t going to take any shit from anyone. This should be no news to you. You saw his contract. He isn’t going to put up with asshole admirals, generals, captains or majors. He gets the job done without us. He probably made huge progress in relations with an empire a thousand times bigger than us and the admiral is jealous.”
“You are right about all of it, Aisling,” the major sighed, “but he is so disrespectful to our leaders. Now he is in the brig.”
“So what?” the captain replied. “He doesn’t care where he sleeps. It’s just as comfortable as his bunk. He is holding someone he loves and who loves him back without all the bullshit. The kind of love he deserves from you.”
“Lorelei, stop listening to us and come here,” she added. Lorelei walked up with a smirk on her face.
/>
“I couldn’t help but hear, Captain.”
“Get them breakfast in the morning and bring Natalia to my quarters to shower and change. If she wants to come back here after she is done, that is fine. Come with me.” The captain walked into Lorelei’s cell. She spoke softly to her.
“I feel my friend in the cell will be leaving us soon,” she said. “Whatever day that is, make sure you are on his ship and take Natalia with you. I will make arrangements for people to be looking the other way.”
“What about the black-haired beauty, will she be coming along?”
“I doubt it. Do not concern yourself with anything or anyone else. Just you and Natalia. I don’t want to know about anyone else. It could put me in a position to have them locked up here. I am still an officer in the Colonial Military and have a oath to uphold.”
“Thank you, Captain.” Lorelei hugged her and held her hands in hers. The captain looked down at the hand with the missing fingers.
“No worries, Captain,” Lorelei said. “I’m a new person and this is my reminder of that.”
The captain walked out, glancing at the major on her way. She was still standing watching him and the girl sleep.
Chapter 25: Lawyer Up
They were all there waiting for the brass to show up on the screen. There was not a lot of talking. Lieutenant Aok just sat still with her hands in her lap. The major had not talked to her since the mess when Reaper was taken. Emily sat just as quietly as the lieutenant.
The vid came alive and the two officers were sitting at a table, just like in the past. The difference was that there was a third person — a man in an expensive-looking business suit. He smiled at everyone. The admiral didn’t look happy at all. The general looked like he wanted to smile but was holding back.
“Ladies,” the general started off. “This is Marcus Antonio. He has been hired by the Trillond Government to represent Reaper in a lawsuit against the Colonial Military for unlawful imprisonment. He is petitioning for his release and an undisclosed amount of credits. It seems the Trillond government heard of his situation and have taken it upon themselves to aid someone they consider a hero of the people. They have bestowed this honor on him and Lieutenant Aok, but due to our situation cannot hold a proper ceremony.”
The Chronicles of Benjamin Jamison: Call Sign Reaper Page 31
