The Sky is Endless

by Alexander W Meurant

  Stepping inside the frigate, he looked down its hall and frowned, seeing it was far smaller than he imagined inside. This was the first actual airship he had been in however. Broderick turned right and guided Sain down a hallway, coming into a small kitchen area. There were four tables in the room and a number of benches, all secured to the floor. Kasui sat at one of them, yawning, and ignoring the duo as they moved through the place.

  Entering a second hallway, a staircase appeared that went down below, and a ladder that went up.

  "Down below is the engine room's and battery wards. Up the ladder are the staffs living quarters. Not much since this is essentially a patrol vessel" Broderick stated as they exited the hallway and came to a small room with four beds laid out.

  "And this is the medical area. You may find that when not in use, some of the crew might sleep here instead. Something about the beds being more comfortable than there cots" Broderick stated and chuckled lowly. He let go of Sain and patted one of the beds which had a folded set of grey clothes upon it, and a pair of boots underneath.

  "This will be where you sleep. The ship doctor will do check-ups on you and make sure you are all healthy during the trip. And also, here is a change of clothes. I imagine you hospital scrubs are not so comfortable after a few days of wear" Broderick stated and stepped back, that same kind smile on his face.

  "Now, alas I must be off, and this ship will cast off within the next ten minutes, so get changed and comfortable. And as I said earlier Sain, I do hope we meet again" the old man stated, holding out a hand for the youth. Sain smiled right back and grasped the man’s hand, shaking it a little weakly. He still did not have the strength he should.

  Letting go, Broderick turned away finally and made his way out of the medical bay, quickly disappearing down the hall. Sain just watched him go before sighing. He turned back to his new set of clothes and promptly stripped down, tossing the white hospital scrubs onto the bed. Before long, he was dressed in a set of navy greys, albeit devoid of a name tag or ranking insignia. Sitting down, he kicked of the slippers he had been given in the hospital, and picked up the boots, finding a pair of socks stuffed into it.

  He had barely got the boots on when the ships announcement system kicked in, telling everyone to prepare for launch. He felt a pit form in his stomach and he sat on the bed, gripping its edge tightly.

  A countdown began and as soon as it hit zero, the ship shuddered into life. He felt the ship rise and widened his eyes. He had been expecting a much more violent take off. Getting up, he wobbled out into the hallway, a hand on the wall to help him balance. He reached the kitchen area and found Manny, Ryan and Kasui sitting down, the two men setting up pieces of some game board. Sain looked at the game with interest and sat down in a spare seat opposite Kasui, simply watching the game to see how it was played.

  * * *

  "I am afraid our hands are tied my Lord. I have tried all the contacts I have in the Republic, and they all say they know nothing, or have no desire to cross Admiral Milenic. He is a very influential and dangerous man my Lord" came the statement from a man on a video screen.

  Bradley just lounged in his office chair within his flagship, pretty much death staring the ambassador on the other side of the conversation.

  "I find that incredibly hard to believe Count Marchus. I also find it very disappointing. Broderick is a relic, living a life based on glory from thirty years ago. He is a dinosaur" Bradley snapped, his finger tapping irritably on his desk.

  "Have something for me within twenty four hours Count or I may consider you position as ambassador no longer viable" Bradley stated, causing the man to splutter and begin to protest. Bradley did not give him the opportunity and instead lifted a remote and pointed it at the television, turning it off and cutting the link. He turned on his chair then, the face his second in command and just stared at her a moment, raking in her beauty.

  "Captain Barion. Do you have anything for me? Any information from our spies inside the republic?" he asked the woman, his eyes gliding up and down her figure and settling on her face. The Captain was tall and slim, with long black hair, tied up in a bun upon her the top of her head, displaying a rather slim neck. Even for a soldier, she was well dressed and carried a sombre and dignified expression on her face. The woman met Bradley's expression unflinchingly, even seemed to revel in it before holding out a clipboard for him to take.

  "I did receive word not long ago. It was nothing much, but still something to go on. A frigate class airship left the Minyamar airbase this morning, with no escort. It headed due west, away from the normal patrol routes. I have ordered a drone to follow the craft, as I suspect it is carrying those you seek" Captain Barion stated, her hands being pressed behind her, clasped in the small of her back.

  She waited for Prince Bradley to read through the material, as there was a bit more than what she had mentioned. After a sort while Bradley let out a sigh and turned away, placing the clipboard onto his desk.

  "So be it. It must be them. I will not be able to follow them into Samite territory. We do not even have an embassy there. They are a bunch of apes and savages" he stated angrily and seemed to shudder in rage. He sunk into himself, slouching into his chair, dark thoughts on his mind. He stayed silent for a moment before turning sharply to look at his second in charge.

  "Those mercenaries from Galan. The ones I hired a few months back for a job. See if they want to take a trip to the Union" Bradley stated and stared hard at the woman. She seemed completely unperturbed and leant past him, picking up her clipboard from his desk.

  "What is your budget for this request?" she asked sharply, no hesitation in her voice or manner.

  "Five Million. I want the boy alive" Bradley answered her, causing her eyebrows to shoot skywards.

  "Alright my Lord. I will get on it" Captain Barion stated and turned away from the prince. She dismissed herself from his presence and exited his office before walking briskly and resolutely down the hall towards her own quarters. She held her head high, ignoring the many crew that looked her over. She could see the desire in many of the men’s eyes, and the jealously in many of the women’s. That was normal for her.

  Reaching her own quarters, she swiped her pass on the access control and then punched in a four digit code. The door clicked and she slipped inside, the lights coming on automatically. Her quarters were spacious, befitting that of a noble. Hung around the walls were various pictures, many of her family and friends. Inside was luxurious. Far better than one would expect to be on a military vessel. There were couches and tables, exquisite in their construction, and adorned in brilliant colours. But all that meant little to her, because it was normal.

  Making her way to her desk, she placed down her clipboard and sat behind it, her computer turned on and waiting. As she settled before it the screen activated and a small camera scanned her face before beeping twice.

  "Celeste Barion. Unlock" she stated in a clear voice and the computer came to life. She set to work then, looking at the records she kept of Bradley's darker dealings, and contacts. Bringing up the details of the specific mercenaries Bradley had requested she sucked in a breath. These guys were Bradley's go to guys for so many things. And they were clearly criminals, wanted by many different authorities.

  Tapping away at an email, she made sure her proxy server was working before sending it to the mercenaries contact. Now, all she had to do was wait. Settling in, she pulled open a drawer of her desk and produced a make-up kit. Opening the bag, she rifled through her belongings and found a nail file. She sat there absent mindedly touching up her nails with the file for a few minutes, until a ping sounded on her computer. Hurriedly putting the item away, she looked at her email, seeing one had just come in from the mercenaries, with a link attached to it. The same manner they always contacted those who asked for their services.

  Sucking in a breath, she clicked the link and a screen popped up. A masked face stared at her, from a completely dark room. All she could see was a pair of
brown eyes and a small bit of beard from beneath the edges of the mask.

  "Celeste Barion. We meet again. What can I help you with today" came a voice, distorted by whatever software the mercenaries used. She tried to keep a straight face. These guys were ruthless, and never did work for people they didn't know. You had to be recommended to them by someone they already trusted.

  "Hello. My employer has a job of utmost urgency. A criminal has escaped his custody. He wants the man back. His name is Sain Belford, and he is currently en-route to the Samite Union on a Republic Frigate. He has a military escort" Celeste spoke to the man. He stayed silent for a while, seemingly ticking off requirements in his mind.

  "Timeframe?" the man asked, straight to the point.

  "There is none. Would prefer as soon as possible however" Celeste replied, feeling unnerved like she always did in these situations. She hated being the face of Bradley here.

  "One Million dinars upfront. One million after completion, plus associated expenses" the man stated, his eyes locked on Celeste.

  "Anytime there is military involved. Price goes up" he added, seeing the look of displeasure on her face. Celeste thought furiously and bit the inside of her cheek. That left three million for expenses. That was cutting it close. But it had to be done. Even if Bradley were to tell her to haggle, she would not. There was never room for haggling with these guys. Their price was their price.

  "Very well. I will send all relevant details and intel as usual" she stated and nodded. The man nodded also, a deal struck and he shut down the video without another word. Celeste leant back in her chair and exhaled, feeling quite uneasy. A new email appeared in her inbox and she closed her eyes briefly, just relaxing. After a few moments she leant forward and opened her eyes, opening up the email to read its content. It was essentially a contract and another email address for her to send the details of the request and completed contract back. These guys may have been criminals, but they remained quite hard to find simply because of all these precautions they took.

  She set about completing the contract and sending all the information she had on the job, right before she went to Bradley's account's to access his black money to pay these damned mercenaries.

  Chapter 28

  * * *

  The marines all huddled inside the warehouse as rain poured down around them. Victor lifted his head up occasionally, his hands splayed out to the fire in front of him. There were currently eighty marines crammed into the warehouse and another building nearby. And both groups were burning whatever fuel was around them. That included boxes, books and furniture. A marine in front of him sat by, a can of food in his hand, scooping it out with his fingers and eating. The noise of it irritated Victor.

  Hearing a shuffling noise, he looked up and saw Cyrus, who pushed his way through the group of marines around the fire, eliciting a few growls of protest. As the man sat down opposite Victor, his own hands being raised to the flames, Victor looked him over, noting the drawn look on the lieutenant’s face. They all stayed sitting in silence for a while, before the man spoke up.

  "This whole situation is pretty messed up isn't it Sergeant" he murmured and Victor scowled. Last thing he needed was the Lieutenant getting all mellow and putting doubt in the marines.

  "I am going for a smoke. Come with me" Victor growled as he stood up and slid through the crowd. He could practically feel the relief from his men wash over him, let alone those new ones under the Lieutenants command. Coming to a doorway, Victor pushed it open and stepped outside into the cold, dark and rainy night. It was around midnight, and the rain was a damn deluge. They couldn't see a damn thing.

  Sensing Cyrus nearby, Victor turned on him, even as he produced a cigarette from his pocket and put it between his lips.

  "Do you have shit for brains Cyrus? Stop trying to drown all the men in your damned sorrow" Victor snarled, rounding on the man in anger, hoping the pouring rain deadened his voice to those inside. Cyrus looked at Victor with wide eyes and then cast his gaze to the ground sullenly.

  "You can't speak to me like that" he hissed through clenched teeth, obviously not thinking Victor had the right to chew him out.

  "I can speak to you how I damn well fucking want. You are nothing but a sore thumb. Yes you lost a lot of men, but so would anyone else walking into that ambush" Victor growled, bringing up the attack from earlier in the day. He turned away from the man and produced a lighter. Clicking the flint, he got a flame and lit his cigarette, relishing the nicotine as he puffed on the cigarette, bringing it to life.

  "It is just unfortunate that we are stuck here now" Victor growled around his cigarette, puffing smoke into the pouring rain. He just stood there now, brooding, but remaining silent. He tried not to think on it all too much. Unlike the Lieutenant.

  "This campaign has been shot from the moment we landed. Everyone knows it. No one just wants to say it. We failed to take the port, and the storm came out of nowhere. Wiped out that amphibious assault like they were nothing" Cyrus vented his tone angry and sullen. Victor just scowled.

  "So what. We just do what we are told. That's what it means to be a soldier" Victor snapped and went back into his own sullen mood. Cyrus was right of course. They had not been able to take the port before nightfall. The mages attacking the docks from the sea had been all but wiped out by the storm that blew in from the north. If they didn't drown, they probably got shot to shit by the Imperials on the docks.

  And to make matters worse, they hadn't been able to take the road leading into the port themselves and had been bogged down in the rain. Now they were holed up in this place, trying not to freeze to death.

  Hearing shuffling behind him, Victor turned and saw Corporal Blair. She still looked pale, but a hell of a lot better than earlier.

  "Sergeant. Lieutenant. The communications guys are after you. Got a message from the Major" she stated and thumbed over her shoulder before turning away and walking back inside. Victor sighed dramatically and turned to follow her, not caring in the slightest if Cyrus followed. He presumed the man would though. Going to the corner of the warehouse where they had their field communications set up, Victor squatted down next to the specialist who handed him the radio, no words spoken.

  "Command. This is Sergeant Hammond. Call sign, Echo, Charlie, Hotel, Oscar. Over" he spoke into the radio and then waited. The radio crackled back at him and he frowned, looking at the specialist. He said nothing just as a voice came back over the radio.

  "Good to hear your voice soldier. Is Cyrus there with you?" came the voice of Major Irwin. Victor looked around and saw that Cyrus was indeed there, hovering nearby as he leant against a wall.

  "Yes Sir, he is within earshot" Victor answered over the radio and then waited patiently for the Major to speak again. Victor waited a little while, wondering when the major would speak. Seconds dragged on, and eventually turned into minutes. Victor looked at the communications specialist, an eyebrow raised in query. The man just shook his head, having no answer for the Sergeant. Finally the radio crackled as words came back over the radio.

  "Good. That is good. As you both may already know, we failed to take the port. We will be trying for a ground assault in the morning at dawn. The rain is supposed to let up by then. We have received reinforcements along the entire line. There will be no assault from the ocean, only from land. A second company will arrive at your location just before dawn. Sergeant Hammond, you are hereby given a field promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, and will lead this second company. Best of luck gents. Over and out" Major Irwin crackled over the radio and ended the call.

  Victor just blinked in surprise. He had not been expecting that. Feeling a weight settle in his stomach, Victor felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Cyrus, a grim look on the man's face.

  "About time. Congratulations. Lieutenant Hammond" Cyrus stated and then moved off to join his men, a bit grimmer than usual.

  Victor just exhaled and dropped his cigarette to the ground, letting it burn itself out on
the concrete. He closed his eyes and moved to lie against the wall. He was going to need some sleep if he wanted to be fresh for the attack in the morning. He really did not want to think right now.

  * * *

  Victor looked out over the company that had come to relieve his lot. His new company to be exact. As they stood in the light rain and wind, he scowled. If these guys were reinforcements, he would need reinforcements to help them. There were ninety of them, and only one sergeant leading them. A dour faced man with his left arm in a sling. They all looked like they had been through hell. Around a third of them were wounded, and the rest, well Victor likened them to walking dead. Scowling again, Victor stepped up to them as they all crowded in the street as a tight mob. They had only just arrived and the sun was rising in the east, painting them all in an orange light.

  "Alright lads. I ain't going to give you some big old speech about how good I am. Just know that I lead from the front and expect you to follow. Fortune lies with the bold! Remember that" he yelled and then turned away, a little pissed off. He wondered if the Major was playing him. But more likely than not, this was a reassignment from the Colonel.