by C. R. Daems
Before my foot returned to the floor, a taser fired and the barbs hit me in the chest. My body spasmed as electricity coursed through my body. I had little control but managed to drop my arms, which I had intentionally held high appearing to protect my face and jerked right at the same time–a technique we had practiced at Fort Endeavor. As my left arm spasmed and dropped, it hit one of the taser's wires and dislodged it. I continued turning right as I heard another taser fire. Only one barb hit me. I screamed, "Devils to me," more to freeze the men coming at me than expecting Tasmanians to be in the building.
I ran between the two men, delivering an elbow to the eye socket of the man on my right and an elbow to the other man's temple as I spun right. I finished a complete revolution only a step from the cell door. The policewoman slammed the cell door shut before I could reach the door. But before she could move away, my right hand grabbed her wrist, and I pulled her into the bars as my left hand reached for her weapon. I freed it from her holster a moment too late to avoid the jolt of fifty thousand volts of electricity from a taser in my back. I lost control of my body and barely felt the blows that followed like a drummer on steroids.
CHAPTER TWO
Planet: Delphi: Fort Carlton
"I'm Tasmanian Howard," Howard said as he approached the middle-aged woman sitting at the desk inside the lounge leading to General Neville's office. "I was asked to report to the general."
"He asked for the officer in charge of the Tasmanian SFG," the woman said in a no-nonsense tone that matched her stern expression. "I assume that's who you are, General Howard."
"Yes, ma'am," Howard said, leaving off that's my position today.
"General Neville is waiting for you in his conference room, the Clausewitz. Out the door and to your right, General Howard," she said and returned to looking at her tablet.
Howard found the room easily as the door had a silver metal plate with Clausewitz engraved in gold. He knocked, waited a few seconds, and entered, deciding the room was more than likely soundproof. He closed the door and stood waiting acknowledgement.
"It's a sad state of affairs when we don't know the name of the man who commands the Tasmanians," Neville said, waving to an empty chair to his left.
"Today, it's a committee of three retired Tasmanians who distinguished themselves during their careers, sir. Their names are Schwartz, Higgins, and Waters. I'm Tasmanian Howard. They appointed me to speak for the Tasmanians."
He took the seat indicated while noting that Brigadier General Horgray, the head of the army's military police, sat across the table from him. Horgray was young for a general, tall with a rugged, square face that looked ready to spit fifty-caliber bullets. Next to him sat a short, round-faced man who he thought might be Major General Wetzell, the chief of the legal department. General Neville's aide-de-camp, Captain Manning, sat in a chair behind the general.
"Judging by the reports I've received this morning, the Tasmanians committed a number of crimes last night and need to be held accountable. They are still in the army and subject to military regulations," Neville said while watching Howard with laser-focused eyes.
"Which crimes are those, sir?"
"You arrogant bastard. You know damn–" Horgray stopped in mid-rant when Neville raised a finger in his direction while continuing to look at Howard.
"Impeding the arrest of the Tasmanian…" Neville paused to look at his tablet, "Jolie Luan."
"That is incorrect, sir. Nine military police forced their way into the Tasmanian club with weapons drawn, pointing them in the direction of men and women sitting quietly at tables. It was fortunate several Tasmanians with cool heads relieved them of their guns."
"You had no right to interfere with the military police in the performance of their duty. They had an order to arrest Jolie Luan," Horgray shouted as he came halfway out of his chair and pointed a finger in Howard's direction.
"Actually, General Horgray, any Tasmanian would have been in his right to shoot someone pointing a weapon in their guest's direction. They had no way of knowing the intent of seemingly out-of-control men waving weapons inside a peaceful club." Howard paused, then continued before anyone could comment. "The Tasmanians took Tasmanian Luan into custody and accompanied the police back to military headquarters where they saw her securely locked into a cell. These events will be on tape at the club and the jail. I fail to see a crime."
Neville looked at Horgray, whose face was twisted in anger, but he remained silent. He then looked to General Wetzell, who nodded.
"Tasmanian Jolie Luan is being charged with assault and murder of army personnel at the Fort Carlson headquarters detention facility while they attempted to process her into custody," Wetzell said, in an obviously pleased tone. Horgray gave Howard a look of satisfaction. In response, Howard pursed his lips and shook his head slowly. "I assume you have a tape of the prisoner, who was securely locked in her cell, attacking those fifteen military policemen?"
"No, we turned off the tape since we were going to do a strip search," Horgray said, his eyes darting to Neville before continuing. "You Tasmanians all carry combat knives."
"You knew she passed through a body scanner on the way into the cells. Besides, you don't do strip searches for weapons, and strip searches are not conducted in a cell by eight men. I agree a crime was committed by your men, and there will be an accounting." Howard opened his tablet and slid it across to Neville. "The icon labeled Arrest shows what we found when we entered the jail. It's clear fifteen military policemen attacked Jolie Luan with batons and tasers while she was securely locked in a police cell. She had no option but to defend herself. On behalf of the Tasmanian Special Forces Group, I am requesting a formal inquiry into the attempted murder of Tasmanian Luan."
"What about the original court martial charges for which she was arrested?" Neville asked, sounding tired of the whole situation.
"Luan was on leave when the court martial charges were made, and she returned after her leave was up. So, desertion charges are nonsense, and the police knew that, or they are incompetent. As for the charges of taking unauthorized actions which resulted in the death and injury of army personnel, and threatening a superior officer, we have sworn depositions by the Rangers who were there and a hundred witnesses as to the major's actions, in addition to a tape you can access by pressing the icon labeled Lloyd. If you convict her in spite of the depositions and the tape, I will have recruitment issues for the next decade. No one will want to be in an organization where the officers have divine rights over the enlisted. Then we have the Tasmanian charter. If Major Lloyd outranks Luan, then he outranks every Tasmanian, including me," Howard said.
Neville's head jerked up from Howard's tablet with the pictures of the detention area when the Tasmanian had arrived. "How can that be? You're in charge of the Tasmanians," Neville said, frowning at Howard.
"Luan has the same rank as every other Tasmanian, which is why our uniforms have no insignia. We have only one pay scale," Howard paused but continued when no one spoke. They were obviously having a problem with the concept. "When I get back to Fort Endeavor, Luan and I will be equals."
It was so quiet, you could hear people breathing. Neville stared again at the pictures on Howard's tablet before touching the Lloyd icon; the voice of Major Lloyd could be heard. Eventually, Neville slid the tablet to Howard and stood. "Wetzell, Tasmanian Luan has been wronged…by me as well." The last words were just above a whisper, remembering his indirect efforts to keep her from passing the Tasmanian Qualification School. "Make this mess go away."
CHAPTER THREE
Planet: Delphi: Fort Endeavor
"That was clever, shouting Devils to me into an open channel on your TCom. You emptied Fort Endeavor, Happy Corner, and Delphi City of all Tasmanians." Smitty laughed, then sobered. "They meant to make an example of you as a lesson to the Tasmanians. I don't know how you survived the fourteen minutes it took for the first Tasmanians to arrive."
"If that policewoman hadn't slammed that cell do
or shut in time, I would have met you at the gate into Fort Carlson, and I could have avoided the hospital."
"It's probably a good thing she did. With you in the cell, it was obvious what happened. It wouldn't have been so easy if you had escaped. Howard had a long talk with General Wetzell, and all charges against you are being dropped."
"I wonder how he did that," I asked, thinking they had enough to hang me, and this was the perfect opportunity for the senior brass to get the lone female out of the Tasmanians.
"You will have to ask Howard," Smitty said, shaking his head. "When I saw all the bodies in that cell, I thought you would be lucky to get off with life in prison."
"They were furious at what happened at the Devils Club and wanted to send a message to the Tasmanians," I said thinking back to that night. "They wanted me to fight so they would be justified sending me to the hospital. But it soon escalated into a life-and-death contest."
Smitty laughed. "Hurry up and get well. Since they turned off the cameras in that area, everyone is dying to hear what happened."
* * *
Howard stopped in that evening as I was eating dinner.
"I think you eat more than any other Tasmanian," he said as he entered the room.
"I'm trying to grow twenty centimeters and gain at least twenty-five kilo," I quipped.
"That's the problem, Jolie. You're small and look like you shouldn't be out on a windy day. Too many men think that means you couldn't have earned your fur, and they want to prove it. And it's worse for men like Major Lloyd who failed to qualify for the Tasmanians," Howard said, then gave me an evaluating inspection. "How are you feeling?"
"About the same as after Smitty's interrogation," I said remembering the interrogation exercise where Smitty had been ordered to make sure I didn't qualify. He had almost killed me in the attempt, and I had to be hospitalized.
"The good news is, they are dropping all charges against you," Howard said and smiled.
"How did you manage that?" I agreed with Smitty's assessment.
"They lost all their credibility when they admitted they turned off the cameras and intended to do a strip search. As to the other charges, General Wetzell admitted Major Lloyd's remarks were inappropriate, with the intent to goat you into a fight. And it didn't hurt that General Neville wanted the mess to go away. In a way, Neville is telling the military police they got what they asked for and can't complain if they don't like what they got."
* * *
I stayed in the hospital for three days. I tried to leave earlier, but the doctors wouldn't sign a release. Finally, they agreed but stipulated I should be on light duty, which to the Tasmanians meant regular duty. When I found I didn't have a schedule, I went to the firing range, wanting to see the effect sore and bruised muscles had on my accuracy. Not surprisingly, I was a bit off until I used my Gong Luan meditation to focus. In war, your adrenaline negates the pain, and your focus on the enemy helps.
"I thought I'd find you here," Simons said as he neared. "Are those military security faces on your targets?" he said, standing behind me. I was laying with my CheyTac sniper rifle shooting targets set five, ten, and fifteen hundred meters down range.
"No, that's history. They got in their licks, and I got in mine. It was actually good practice, and I learned a lot," I said as I cleared the CheyTac and stood.
He laughed. "Damned if you aren't as crazy as the rest of us. And while we're on the topic of crazy, there is a fair amount of interest in your Gung Luan Vanquishing Fear training. You interested?"
"Sure, Chief," I said using Simons call sign. "Weekends?"
"I think the senior Tasmanians might be willing to make it a regular scheduled class. How many can you take?"
"Ten, I think. I have to set up the rooms and monitor each individual during the exercise," I said.
"Good. I'll get a list together and clear it with the senior group."
And thus, life returned to normal. I attended my specialty classes–sniper, explosives, and medical–during the week and participated in the training exercises that were a part of every Tasmanian's duty when not on assignment. I even got to participate in the qualifying school candidate training. For this session, there were nine candidates who had passed phase one of the school curriculum.
I smiled at the eight Tasmanians as I approached the fighting area. This was the candidates’ first session fighting against Tasmanians. Our purpose was to physically demonstrate how fighting in war was different from the classroom and to reset their elevated opinion of their fighting skills at having bested ninety-one of their fellow candidates. When we arrived, I got nine jaw-dropping looks and even a few sneers. Everyone knew there was a woman Tasmanian, but they didn’t know what she looked like. I guessed my one hundred seventy-three centimeters and fifty-four kilograms wasn't impressive. I had actually gained two kilograms since qualifying for the Tasmanians.
"Gunther, Luan," the chief barked, pointing to the center of the ring. Gunther's lips had a small smile as he approached the center. Gunther was an impressive physical specimen at one hundred eighty-eight centimeters, ninety kilos, and a muscular physique. I approached with the required blank expression. In fact, I was in fighting mode: emotionless. I didn't need to fake my bland expression.
When Simons dropped his arm from between us, I exploded into Gunther with a shoulder into his solar plexus and a knee into his groin. Although he had on protective gear, it was enough to freeze him. The blow to the solar plexus knocked the wind out of him, and the one to his testicles sent a wave of mind-numbing pain. My right leg stepped behind him as my arm slid around his neck. Twisting left caused him to fall backward over my leg. As he landed on his back, I kicked him in the head, turned, and walked back to my brothers, who were making an impressive effort not to smile.
"Poor Gunther," Smitty said later that day as we walked back to the bus that would return us to Fort Endeavor. "You know he was the best of the nine, so to be dumped on his ass multiple times by an undersized woman must have destroyed his ego."
"I suspect that beating Jolie is going to be his wet-dream," Norman, call sign Taipan, said as we entered the bus.
"Sister, having you in the Tasmanians is like having a traveling circus accompanying us. You're an exciting addition to the Devils."
I glowed within. I had not only qualified to be a Tasmanian, but I was accepted and had made good friends. Life was better than good.
CHAPTER FOUR
Planet: Delphi: No Good Performance Goes Unpunished
I stayed busy, and the next two months went by in a flash. With three specialties and running the Vanquishing Fear exercises on the weekends, I was busy all the time. I had just finished the second class of ten men and was told I had a waiting list of twenty-two. A few weren't sure if the class helped or not, but most thought it a worthwhile exercise. I knew it would be months if not years before they would recognize the gift that it was, and then only if they practiced what they had learned during the class.
It was late when I finished putting everything away and shutting down the equipment, but I wasn't tired and felt I needed a break. I knew the Tasmanians wouldn't stop partying until the early hours of the morning, as they could function on only a few hours' sleep. So, I caught the shuttle that ran from Fort Endeavor into Happy Corner, which had gotten its name while Fort Endeavor was being constructed. Back then, the area was nothing but a few trailers and tents. Today, it was a small city of over twenty-five thousand people and where some of the married Tasmanians owned homes.
I exited the shuttle at the Nightingale Club, a popular haunt for Tasmanians. The club had a large bar area with live entertainment, a separate restaurant, and a small casino. I made my way towards the bar where a tall shapely young woman and a handsome young man playing a piano were on the stage. She was singing a sad song about lost love. Scanning the room, I saw three tables with Tasmanians in uniform, which wasn't unusual. The Tasmanian Special Forces Group was the elite of the army groups, and their uniforms attract
ed women like sharks to blood.
"Hey, Fox, over here."
A man I recognized as Cedric Reid, call sign Wolf, stood waving from a table with eight Tasmanians and four women. The Tasmanians at the other two tables and several at the wall-to-wall bar waved and I heard several, "Hi, Fox."
"Ladies, this young woman's call sign is Fox, because she is craftier then the rest of us put together," Cedric said, as he pulled out a chair for me to sit.
"And chews fifty caliber bullets instead of gum," Art Watson, call sign Spiderman, said while imitating chewing something tough. I couldn't help smiling. Cedric and Art had been in my squad when we fought the Zinwe on the planet Libian.
"What are you doing here, Jolie?" Cedric asked. "I thought you were conducting your special classes tonight."
"Tonight was the last class. I felt I needed a break and came looking for good company to help me relax…and found you instead." I shook my head slowly and tried to look disappointed. The women stared at me in open-mouthed horror.
"How about we call the military police and tell the m you're here causing a disturbance. Would that help?" Cedric asked, grinning.
"If you promise not to interfere like last time. I was winning until you broke my concentration," I said with my best pouty-face expression. Several of the Tasmanians including Art and Cedric choked on what they were drinking. Just then, Pete Norman, call sign Taipan, entered the bar area. He smiled when he saw me.
"That was awesome, Jolie," he said. "In battle, we tend to ignore our fears. We don't get them under control."
"Isn't that the same thing?" Art asked.
"I thought so before Jolie's class. It's strange. When you can focus on the problem at hand, nothing else matters, whether it's dangerous or not, possible or not, good or bad… Never mind, I actually came looking for the Fox. I've heard there is an assignment coming tonight. I wanted to let her know that I'm available."
