Crusade For Vengeance (Dark Vengeance Book 2) (48 page)

“Phfft.”  Troll waved her hand airily.  “He’s not afraid of those chiselled bodies.  Besides, don’t men always say size doesn’t matter?  What’s a whole head taller in the grand scheme of things?  Look at us.  We’re not intimidated by those big-ass women.”

“Riiiight.”  Julianna said with a smile creeping up her face.  Barney stood with his head cocked and eyebrow raised as he gave Troll what was obviously a Look.  “Anyway, come on.  First Platoon.”

It was difficult to make their way through the press of bodies.  Several times men accosted them, asking for information.  Was it really the Rebellion?  When were the shuttles arriving?  When could they go home?

Julianna tried to answer as best she could, without getting stuck.  It helped that Troll stopped talking and stayed by Julianna’s left shoulder as a menacing presence.  Barney was his usual laconic self on the other side.  She was confident she could handle herself, should the need arise, but with all three of them close together, in armour and heavily armed, it prevented the need in the first place.

The prisoners mostly weren’t common criminals.  It would take a lot of work to process them all through after they reached a place of safety.  Julianna wasn’t looking forward to that part of the mission.  She much preferred to be on the direct action side of things.  Specialists in intelligence, like Arlene, would be needed to interview all of them.  They would need to sort through their histories, motives and of course their feelings, negative or otherwise, towards the Pantheon and the Rebellion.  It would be a massive undertaking, just like the rest of this operation.

Julianna passed the last of the prisoners to find First Platoon.  Even though they all stood quietly, unmoving in their armour, there was a clear three metre gap between them and the prisoners.  None of the inmates wanted to get too close to this, very visible, reminder of the Pantheon’s military and technological might.

First Platoon stood in a rough, double layered semi-circle around the door to the control room with their helmets open.  Lieutenant Saito and Sergeant Major Bickerstaff were in the centre, with Carter already there.  Spotting Chao, over to one side, Julianna went and joined him.

“Hey, Jules,” he greeted her.  “How did it go?”

“Honestly?  I have no idea,” she told him.  “We found the Commandant.  Carter asked him what he knew about her, tortured him and shot him.  All he told her were some minor instructions he had been given in regard to her.  Nothing more.  It was a completely wasted trip.”

“I doubt it.  The Major doesn’t do wasted trips.”

“You know what?  I’m not sure what you see in her.  All she has been is rude the entire time.  Fine, she’s a fighter, but I can’t see her being able to convince the Legion to follow her.”

Julianna expected Chao to snap at her, but he was quiet instead before answering thoughtfully.

“I think she was hoping to find out more about who sent her here and anything on her family’s killers.”

“Here?  Why would the Commandant know anything about that?”

“It was a long shot.  I’m not saying it wasn’t, but she had to try.  I think it’s all she cares about right now.”

“She needs to get her head in the game.  We’ve put everything behind this.  Without her, it will all be for nothing.”

Chao nodded at those in the yellow jump suits around them.

“I wouldn’t say that to them.  I don’t think they would say it has been for nothing.”

Julianna sighed and regretted her rash words.  “You’re right, Chao.  Sorry, I lost Haworth today and Beaumont had her arm blown off.  Even if she survives, we don’t have the facilities to regrow a new one for her.  It’s hard.”

“Yeah, I know,” he smiled down at her.  “It’s why I never accepted a promotion.”

“Yeah, right.  They never offered,” she shot back and felt a little better for the lighter tone.  She looked over to Carter and.  “Do you think she’ll ever let it go?  What if she can never find out?”

It was Chao’s turn to sigh this time.  Julianna recognised the expression on his face when he looked at Carter.  It was the same one he had, when he looked at her when he thought she wasn’t looking, the love and protectiveness of a brother.

“I doubt it.  It’s what drives her.  She’s worse than Hanna described.  Maybe when we can get her out of here and back among friends, it might bring her out of it.”

“Oh, you’re a psychologist now are you?”

“That’s a scary thought.  Don’t say it too loudly.  If the Company heard, they would be running for deep space.”  He paused for a moment, his expression thoughtful.  “It might help, though.  Get her to talk to a professional.”

“That would be one very brave doctor.  She is one very scary lady.  No matter what happened, who’d go out and kill almost twenty-five thousand people because they were having a tantrum?  If we didn’t need her so badly, I’d lock her in the most secure cell in this place and leave her here.”

“Keep your voice down!” Chao hissed and Julianna realised she was being watched by the members of First Platoon closest to them.  None of them looked particularly pleased with what she said. She instantly regretted saying it in front of them.  Not the words themselves, she believed every single one, but this was not the time or place and she knew better.  The thoughts had been bubbling away at the back of her mind ever since she found out about Furioso and now, in the stress of the day, they spilled out.

Glancing over to Carter, something in the way she stood, with her helmet off and looking up at Sergeant Major Bickerstaff, told Julianna she heard every word.  Julianna made herself turn away and look out onto the crowd.  Troll and Barney were over the other side of First Platoon chatting to Tripoli and Mustafa, fortunately, they wouldn’t have heard.

“Sorry, Chao.”.

“That’s OK, I know it’s been a difficult day.  I heard you did well.  Bickerstaff was very impressed and you won’t get much higher praise.”

“Really?  Well I’m glad he thinks so.”

“Heads up, the shuttles are back.”  Sirens sounded though-out the bay and red lights flashed.  Chao snapped his helmet down and Julianna checked her armour’s integrity.  Ideally, the bay would be cleared before the doors opened, in case the airshield failed.  Today, it wasn’t an option.  None of the inmates wanted to wait in the cell blocks.  There were so many of them, they were crammed in all through the bay and the admin floor, all the way back to the main lifts on the other side.  The only clear area, was the space in front of the doors, reserved for the shuttles to land.  A cordon of Militia were in place to ensure it stayed that way.  If the shuttles couldn’t land, no one was leaving.

The massive bay doors cracked open and everyone held their breath, waiting for the air to be swept out into space.  For the fourth time, the airshield held and a loud collective sigh of relief echoed throughout the bay.  The Scarab entered first, graceful and deadly, followed by the wallowing cargo shuttle.  It came to rest, the doors lowered and the Militia swung into action guiding the inmates onto the two shuttles.  It was one of the many things Major Forlani trained them for in the run up to the mission.

“Just one more after this one,” Chao said after raising his visor.

“Then we can get out here.”

“Too true.  I’ll be glad to get out of this armour and into a nice hot shower.  I’ve got to say, it gets uncomfortable after a while.”

“I know what you mean.  Running around in armour isn’t like they make out in the Holovids.”

“No, it’s not,” Chao agreed.

“You’ll be on the Helo, I suppose, we’ll have to take a ride back in the Scarab, and you lot will be the last out?”

“I’m afraid so.  First in, last out.  That’s what we do.”

Julianna rolled her shoulders and stretched her arms wide, trying to loosen them up in her armour.  “Roll on the last flight.”

The tactical screen in front of Valerie showed the Rock receding behind the Helo.  The freighter icon marked as the Wandering Pony approaching and Den Hertog accelerated the Helo towards it.  She sat in her old command chair on Helo one.  The smart chair had formed itself around the MP armour she wore.  Her helmet was racked to the chairs side, ready in case of need.  Lieutenant Saito, who would normally be in this seat, stood with the rest of First Platoon in the troop bay behind her.  His FPB armour supplying the same feeds as the command post. 

Glancing back at the still, towering forms of First Platoon, Valerie’s eyes rested on the two bodies lying between her and them.  Private Mina Silongo and Lance Corporal Bedrich Profeta.  They had been set onto grav sleds, still in their armour and Bedrich hovered over Mina.  Two more of her family lost because of her, and they weren’t the only ones.  All of the Platoons needed to fight hard today, though it was First Platoon who had faced the fiercest opponents.  Four other members of her Company lost their lives.

Corporal Baako Rosser, Bravo team, Second Platoon.  Sergeant Vailea Srour, Delta team, Fourth Platoon.  Private Thao Ammann, Charlie team, Fifth Platoon.  Private Keona Jamgochian, Delta team, Fifth Platoon.

Six of her people died to rescue her and she knew each and every one.  Vailea Srour had a husband and two boys, fifteen and twelve.  Thao Ammann saved Valerie’s life on Hyperabad’s third moon.  Baako Rosser liked to play an archaic game called football.  Keona Jamgochian would tell the most horrendous jokes which always left her smiling.  There was so much more she could say about them all, and now they were gone.

Valerie felt a sense of loss she‘d never experienced before.  Other members of Shadow Company had not survived missions in the past.  In the Company’s quarters on Furioso there had been a black metal sheet, with the names of those fallen in battle listed in silver embossed script.  When last she saw it, there were one hundred and forty-two names and she could recall the faces of them all.

Those deaths were difficult.  The loss of people she cared about, writing the letters and meeting the families.  She had lost comrades before Shadow Company, on the battlefield, in the air and from training accidents.  None affected her like this and she swore to herself, she would do all she could to keep those she cared for safe.

Her mind set, Valerie turned her attention to the screens in front of her.  A simple command brought up a visual of the Wandering Pony.  It was a standard Rintoul class Modular Freighter, such as Valerie had seen across the galaxy.  Five thousand metres long, with a rounded prow holding the crews living quarters, primary bridge and shuttle bays.  A slim spine ran for four fifths of its length, back to the blocky stern containing the engines, life support and the secondary bridge.  Modules lined the entire length of the spine.  It was to one of these the five Shadow Company Helos were heading.  All the other shuttles were already docked with the modules they were using to transport the prisoners.

The Helos made their approach, swinging down underneath the freighter and coming up to the hidden bays.  Doors opened, in what looked like seamless metal and the Helos rose up into them.  Valerie felt the docking clamps attach themselves to the sides of the Helo.  From the forward cameras, she saw the launch bay slide past.  The lip of the modules main vehicle bay passed and Valerie’s jaw tightened at what was waiting for her.

The ramp lowered and First Platoon trooped out slowly, the last two towing the dead behind them.  Their heavy feet rang loudly on the metal floor.  Their power reserves were almost all gone now.  They had been stretched to the limit in the assault.  All needed recharging and a full overhaul.

The Helo shut down around Valerie and she sat staring at the screen in front of her, but not really seeing it.  Valerie couldn’t say where her mind was.  All she knew was that she did not want to leave the Helo.  Movement in the cockpit made the decision for her.  If Jacqui and Rush came back and saw her there, they would ask questions, she certainly was not ready for that.

Taking a deep breath, Valerie released the seat’s harnesses, collected her helmet and stood.  She walked through the troop bay to the ramp and found the delegation, she had seen in the forward cameras.  It had moved round to meet her at the base of the ramp.  Shannon, Sneaker, the man she recognised as William Baccurin, and several others she didn’t know, stood there waiting.  Valerie stopped at the top of the ramp and looked down at them, not knowing what to say.

Shannon stepped forward.  “It’s good to see you, Valerie.”

“I’m glad you made it out of there,” Sneaker came up beside her with a smile. 

Valerie felt lost and frozen, something she hadn’t experienced for over a century.

“We have a lot to talk about,” Shannon said gently when Valerie didn’t reply.

Looking away, Valerie ran her hand through her hair.  She felt the sweat and grease from hours of combat and the restriction of a combat helmet.  It was something she knew, something she recognised and it gave her strength to face these people, at least partially.

“I need time, Shannon.  I’m not ready...” she stopped and licked her lips.  Tears threatened to pour unrestricted down her cheeks and Valerie dug deep inside herself to continue.

Taking another deep breath, she faced her old friend firmly.  “Do you have quarters assigned to me?  I need a shower, food and a change of clothes.”

Shannon nodded and gave a sad smile.  “Yeah, you’ve got the Brigadier’s quarters and we’ve put your Tea Chest in there.”

“Hanna and Deni brought it back from Olympus?”

“They did.”

“Thanks, I’ll get myself sorted and com you.”  Shannon only nodded in reply and Valerie walked down the ramp.  As she passed them, she felt all of their eyes on her.  Pausing, she turned back to Shannon.  “Is the Spectre docking with us?”

“Yes, they did just after you.  Hans wanted to ride shotgun until everyone was secure.  He’s tucked in under the spine, between the modules.  We’re running an umbilical out to them now.”

“OK, could you ask Hanna and Deni to come and see me when they’re free?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you.”  Valerie turned away and started to walk across the open bay.  It was crowded with people.  Both Scarabs and two of the Cargo shuttles were crammed in, with the five Helos and Valerie spotted a sixth, sitting off to one side.  Eyes turned to watch her.  It was not just from the Company.  Rebel fighters and gang Enforcers turned to scrutinise her, their conversations going quiet as she passed.  What she said to Corporal Richings before must have been passed around, no one approached her.

“That’s the woman we want to lead the Legion in a mutiny?” she heard a gruff voice behind her.

“Take it easy, Billy,” Sneaker replied.  “She’s been through a lot.  Give her some time.”

Valerie reached the bay lifts and called a car.  The doors opened almost immediately.  She stepped in and pressed the command for the eleventh floor senior officers quarters.

“It was a bad idea to meet her straight off the ramp.  I should have...”  Whatever Shannon was going to say was cut off by the car’s doors sliding shut and Valerie leaned her head against them.  They wanted her to lead the Legion against the government of the Pantheon.  Of all the things she could have possibly expected, that was the last and she was doubly glad she walked away.

The lift stopped and Valerie stepped out onto a plush carpet.  It was rare she entered this section of a Forward Operating Base Module.  Designed for a full battalion of a thousand soldiers commanded by a Major, it also included quarters for Colonels and Brigadiers, should they be needed.  Although Shadow Company took up little over a tenth of the total Module’s capacity, when they were deployed aboard one, Valerie was not allowed to use the quarters she was not entitled to.  It was one of those things she used to smile about, the intransigence of military life.  Not today, all she could think about was somewhere away from everyone else.

Valerie stopped at the door and almost swore.  She left her ID card back in the Workshop in Zeus and it would undoubtedly be in her Tea Chest, on the other side of the door.  Without it she couldn’t get into these quarters.  She turned to go back to the lift.  She would have to go back down and ask Shannon for one to let her in.  Going back into that crowded bay was the very last thing she wanted to do.  She could com her or C&C and ask someone to come down with an ID card.  It would mean facing another human being she didn’t know, who would look at her with the sympathy, hope, condemnation and everything else she saw on the faces down there.

Steeling herself, Valerie decided asking C&C would be the best thing.  At least it would be limited to a single person.  She was about to call, when a small note of paper, tucked into the very corner of the door, caught her eye.  Her name was on the front and was folded in two.  As she picked it up, Valerie noticed the back was slightly sticky.  It must have fallen off from wherever it had been attached.  Opening it, she felt a genuine smile blossom on her face.

I bet they didn’t give you back your ID before you left.
  It said in the messy scrawl of someone unused to writing. 
I’ve set the door code to the day we met.  You’re welcome.  Hanna.

“Clever girl,” Valerie muttered to herself and shook her head.  “You knew I’d make it out and did this before you even left the ship.  The question is, did you use the Terran or Blaze calendar?”

Valerie guessed it was the Blaze one and entered the code, after taking a few seconds to work it out.  Every planet used its own calendar based on the rotation and using the seven days of the week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  It was used for local reference or it would get very confusing having days change at two in the afternoon.  Ships, space stations, governments and anything not on a planet, used the ancient Gregorian calendar.  It was also how people measured their age.

Hanna was a child of Blaze and until recently, had not been out of the city she was born in.  It was a good bet that is what she would have used and Valerie was right.  She sighed as the door slid open and she entered the entrance hall.  A Privileged Brigadier in the Legion, expected comfort when she was on deployment.  The designers of the FOBM ensured she got it.

Valerie took a minute to explore.  She had never been into the Brigadier’s quarters, having never deployed with one on a FOBM in her career.  She was surprised at how extensive they were.  Conference room, dining room, office, large reception room with a low coffee table and seating for over a dozen people, stewards quarters attached, a small kitchen and finally a large bedroom.  It was there she found her Tea Chest and the door beyond led to what she was really looking for.

“Where have you been all my life?” she asked, staring at the luxurious ensuite bathroom.  She was sorely tempted by the deep bath set into the floor, but it was the large shower she wanted.  Throwing her helmet on the bed, she started deactivating and unbolting her armour.  Gauntlets and arms first, followed by the chest piece and then came the legs and boots.  Finally she dropped the pelvic section onto the ground with the rest and stripped off what was left of her prison jumpsuit.

Completely naked, she walked into the bathroom and stepped into the shower.  Setting the water to just below scolding and at maximum power, she hit the start control.  Water struck her from jets above and all around.  Until she saw it standing there empty and ready for use in the corner, she hadn’t realised how much she missed a hot shower.  The water blasted over her and she revelled in every second.  She had not experienced one this sumptuous, since the morning of her birthday three years ago.

She froze as that single thought stopped her in her tracks and tried to think.  She had seen the date on the armour’s HUD and not noticed.  It was another year since that horrendous day.  On the Rock, they didn’t know the time or what day it was.  She lost track and that all-important date passed her by unnoticed, unremarked and without acknowledgement. 

Her knees were on the floor of the shower and she did not know how she got there.  Tears poured unrelenting from her eyes, mixing with the hot water cascading over her.  The box snapped open, sobs of anguish and pain ripped out.  Again and again, she watched her family gunned down.  Again and again, they died in front of her.

Valerie pounded the floor.  Designed to be non-slippery and comfortable underfoot, its surface yielded under her fists, saving her from breaking her hands, such was the force she used.  She screamed with all of her might, until her throat was sore and she came to a coughing and stuttering stop.  With the water continuing to wash over her, she curled up in a ball and lay on the floor crying softly.

Time passed unnoticed and, as it did every other time, the pain and grief which overcame her, receded slowly back into the depths of her mind.  She came back to herself and opened her eyes.  The water still continued in an inexhaustible cycle.  It poured down upon her, flowed down the drain, was cleaned and reheated, before being sprayed out again.

Slowly, mechanically, Valerie pulled herself to her feet.  Without really taking notice of what she was doing, she washed her hair and body.  Finished, she switched the shower over to the dryers.  The hot energy, washed over her and the moisture faded away from her body in a cloud of vapour.