Chapter 42

Inari sat there, crouched behind a corner, using her body to protect a kid who was wandering by the station. The explosion that hit the sheriff’s station had been sizable enough to where dust and debris had choked the immediate area. Hearing no subsequent explosions, she slowly cracked her eyes open, taking in the sight before her.

The station itself was a pile of rubble, with walls still standing through the building’s ruin. They stuck out like bones from a broken corpse as dust swirled around them. Fires burned through the haze, most of them having caught during the explosion as they consumed what fuel they could find. Inari then looked down at the kid, a little boy no more than six, and sighed in relief when she saw him peering up at her.

“Thank you for saving me!” the boy told the woman.

“You’re welcome, little one! Where’s your mom and dad?” Inari queried.

“I came to see my mommy and daddy here at the station!” the boy told her.

“Alone?” Inari questioned, thinking the boy didn’t know how dangerous it was out here.

“I came with my brother, Jack. Mommy and daddy weren’t answering their comms, so I came here to see them,” the boy explained.

“Who are your mommy and daddy?” Inari asked.

“Daniel!! Dear God!! What are you doing here!?!?” Jenque screamed as she dashed to her son’s side.

“You and daddy weren’t picking up. I know you were busy, but I wanted to see if you would be home for supper. Where’s Jack?” the boy questioned.

“Oh, dear God, no!” Daved exclaimed, rushing into the fog, calling out his son’s name. Jenque cried and held Daniel close, fearing the worst. Inari bounded to her feet and dashed into the fog, calling out Jack’s name, hoping to find the boy. Inari heard a few groans in the spot she had run to and whirled to find the source of the sound.

“Hey! It’s OK, I’m here to help,” Inari told the person she found. They were face down on the ground, with what looked like half a wall on top of them. Though the dust was thick, Inari could see their head moving.

“Brother ... Daniel...” the person said, as they tried to shift out of the rubble, to no avail.

“Are you Jack?” Inari gasped, and she saw a slight nod of the boy’s head.

“DAVED!!! I FOUND HIM! HE’S ALIVE!” Inari hollered, hoping she’d caught Daved’s attention.

“Daniel...” the boy breathed.

“He’s OK! He’s with your mom! Hold on tight, bud! Your dad is coming, and we’ll dig you out of this!” Inari said as she kneeled down and got to work. She’d shifted aside a few dozen bricks when she heard her name being called out.

“Inari?!?”

“Over here!” she shouted, waving her arms. Heavy footfalls sounded and Daved appeared out of the murk, racing to Inari’s side.

“Oh, dear God! Please tell me he’s still alive!” Daved sobbed, on the verge of breaking.

“D-dad??” came the boy’s voice, catching his father’s attention.

“Jack! Thank God!” Daved blubbered, holding his son’s hand.

“MEDIC!!!” Inari shouted, trying to get one of the deputy medics to their location. Inari called out for one several more times before someone appeared out of the haze, running full tilt.

“Ma’am? Who’s hurt?” the man questioned as he pulled a pair of latex gloves on.

“Daved’s son, Jack! He’s over here!” Inari told the man and hurried over to where Daved was trying to dig his son out.

“Sir, stop! I need to check him!” the medic told his boss.

“I need to get him out! He told me it’s tough to breathe!” Daved told the man gruffly. The medic huffed, but went to check the boy anyway, hoping that he would be all right. He pulled out a medical scanner and scanned Jack, making sure that he wasn’t critically hurt.

“He’s suffered a collapsed lung and several serious fractures along his arms. I can’t get a read of his legs, but be gentle when you pull on those bricks. I don’t know if he’s dealing with any form of bleeding,” the medic told the sheriff.

“Copy that, Banner,” Daved told the medic. Inari helped with excavating the boy, dispensing with most of the weight that was on top of him. Once his legs were visible, Daved gestured to Banner, and the medic moved to check the boy.

“OK ... he’s got a compound fracture in his left tibia and ankle. Not reading any compromised arteries or veins. He should be safe to move, but be as gentle as possible,” Banner told Daved.

“Let’s get everything around Jack cleared before we move him. We don’t want to make anything worse than it already is,” Inari suggested, to which Daved nodded and they got to work. Not even five minutes later, the rubble was cleared from Jack’s body and the haze started to clear as it was picked up by the wind.

“Stretcher to my location!!” Banner called out, waving his arms at the other deputies. A couple of them saw the man and exploded into action, rushing over as quickly as they could. In seconds, they had the stretcher next to Jack and were carefully transporting him to it.

“D-dad!! Hurts!!” the boy griped.

“It’s going to hurt, son. I’m glad that you’re OK!” Daved breathed, glad to see that Jack was going to be all right.

“Daved!! JACK!!” Jenque’s voice called out as she sprinted to the stretcher with Daniel glued to her hip.

“Jenque!! He’s hurt, but alive!!” Daved told his wife as she cried upon seeing her son as hurt as he was.

“He’s going to be OK, right?” the woman asked tremulously, looking at the medic.

“He’s in our care and we’ll get him patched up, don’t worry! If we hadn’t found him so fast, that would be a different story! A whole wall was nearly on top of him,” Banner told the woman.

“How did—” Jenque started when Jack spoke weakly.

“Ex ... explosion ... flying in air ... smack wall...” the boy mumbled, trying to form coherent sentences.

“Don’t talk son. Rest. You’re going to need your strength,” the medic told him.

“He’s right, Jack! Rest! It’s the best way to get better,” Jenque told her son.

“Ma’am, are you OK?” Banner queried.

“I’m fine, what are you---” Jenque started when she saw the question wasn’t directed at her. She turned to look at Inari, who then hit her knees as pain suddenly registered in her mind. Gritting her teeth, she looked around at her back and barely saw several sizable splinters of wood protruding from her back.

“INARI!” Daved yelped as he went to her and checked her back. Several large splinters dotted the woman’s back, most of which had been stopped by her nanoweave vest. Some hit the points on Inari’s shoulders where the vest didn’t cover her, soaked in her blood.

“Damn!! You took a serious hit!!” Banner stated, as he checked and removed every splinter one by one, bandaging each wound.

“You ... saved my boys!!” Jenque blubbered as she kneeled down to hug her friend. Daniel did so too, happy to be alive and unharmed, grateful for Inari’s heroism.

“Patch me up, then give me something for the pain! We’ve got work to do!” Inari told the medic through gritted teeth.

“Ma’am, I would recommend against you doing any work at this moment. The blast could have at least given you a mild concussion, not to mention—” Banner started before he was cut off.

“The Confeds just hit us with a fucking bomb! This place isn’t likely to be the only one hit!” Inari growled as she looked skyward. Indeed, there were other plumes of smoke and dust rising amongst the town. Cries of despair and screams of the dying were carried on the air, reaching their ears.

“By all that is holy...” Daved gasped, taking in the sheer magnitude of what had just happened.

“Sheriff station, are you there?? Someone, please! Answer me!” Priya’s voice came in over the comms.

“Pree??” Inari replied, activating her comms.

“Inari?? Is that you?!?” Priya asked, hoping she wasn’t hearing things.

“Yeah, love! It’s me! I’m all right! Well, barring a few splinters in my back and a splitting headache that the medic here thinks is a concussion,” Inari told her love.

“Thank Shiva!! We were on patrol when we saw the explosions happen throughout the town! Our patrol wasn’t hit, but there have been some casualties and a few fatalities already! Some other patrols were caught in the blast, but it seems like mostly civilians were hit,” Priya reported in.

“Daved! You patched in?” Inari asked, turning to the sheriff.

“Been listening since you got the call. This is a total cluster fuck!! We got most of the personnel out of the station in time before the blast hit, but even we lost a few people! These fucking Confeds!! When I find them, I’m going to tear their fucking balls off and force feed those organs to them!!” Daved rumbled.

“Normally, I’d slap you for making such a gross and crass comment in front of our boys!” Jenque told her husband. “But after this, I only have one thing to say to you regarding that comment.”

“Which is?”

“Get in line,” his wife told him and Daved smirked, happy to see she was of the same mindset at that point.

“Looks like the station took a hell of a hit!” Inari commented, looking at the wrecked structure. More than half of the building was in ruins, with what was left standing looking like warzone level destruction.

“Sir?” one of the deputies called out, walking up to Daved.

“What is it?” the sheriff asked, preparing himself for bad news.

“Some of our patrols are reporting in, asking for new orders. What should I tell them?” the deputy asked. Daved took a look at the station, then around the rooftops of the town, taking in the smoke that was rising in the air. The man sighed, not liking his options, but executing what needed to be done.

“Martial law is now in effect. All deputies and town militia are now authorized to use deadly force where necessary. Violators and looters will be arrested, and any resistive force will be met with the same level of force. Gangers and opportunists harassing townsfolk or stealing supplies are to be taken down with extreme prejudice. Understood?” Daved questioned.

“Absolutely, sir! You heard the sheriff, boys and girls! Let’s get to work!” the deputy in question bellowed. Other deputies on the line also acknowledged the order, following through with Daved’s command.

It had been a while since martial law had to be instituted, as Prodosia had calmed down over the last few years. Sure, it was a rough place, but there was a sense of order there, along with a level of predictability. Daved only hoped he wasn’t making the wrong move by authorizing it in the first place. His comms beeped then, letting the man know of an incoming transmission on another frequency. Daved picked it up and listened.

“Hello? Is there anyone out there? Anyone? Please?!?” came a desperate feminine cry over the frequency.

“This is Sheriff Daved Madsen. To whom am I speaking?” he asked.

“This is Callista Tohlari, a nurse at the clinic Dr. Zuzanna Walczak runs! We need help down here and we need it now!” the woman begged.

“Slow down, miss Tohlari. What sort of help do you need?” the man asked, trying to keep the woman calm.

“Anyone who can use a gun to help keep order down here! We’re OK here at the clinic, as ... whatever hit us didn’t destroy the clinic! It just took out a few of our walls, but we have people to treat and druggies are coming at us, looking to rob us blind! We can’t help those in need and deal with druggies and looters at the same time!” the woman replied as a few rounds going sounded in the background.

“Wait one, I’m redirecting a patrol to you now!” he told her. “Inari, nearest patrol to the clinic, double time!”

“On it!” the woman replied as she put in the call to her lover. “Pree, head over to the clinic, double time! You and your patrol are the closest ones to them! People need help and they won’t be able to get it if looters and druggies take all their supplies!”

“No worries, love! We’re on it! You heard the woman, people! Hustle your asses!!” Priya yelled over the comms to her patrol.

Inari giggled to herself at this, figuring that Priya, like her, had fallen back into military mode at this attack. It was a good mentality to have, as it taught you to focus on the problem at hand to deal with it. As opposed to losing yourself to the hysteria of the moment. There would be time for that later, as now they all had work to do. She let the line go dead and turned her attention back to the immediate area. A call then came in on her comms device, which Inari answered after the second ring.

“Hello?” she answered, sounding as tired as she felt.

“Inari?? Glad you picked up! We have ourselves a bit of a situation!” Alex replied over the line, catching Inari’s attention.

“Alex!! It’s good to hear your voice!” Inari sighed in relief, glad that she didn’t have to worry about their welfare. “What’s going on?”

“We’ve arrived at the gates of Tanith’s Gully, but we’re not alone,” the big man replied.

“Not alone? Who’s with you?” she asked.

“The Shadow Dancers and the Children of the Wolf. What remains of them, at least. We’re trying to get into town, but we have ourselves a bit of an impasse. The deputies and militia won’t allow anyone in, even those seeking refuge,” he told her.

“Daved just went and enacted martial law. If you can see the plumes of smoke over the town, then you might have some idea as to why that is,” she told him. Inari then gave a basic breakdown of what had happened, filling in the blanks so he knew what was going on and why.

“Seems like the town wasn’t the only target the Confeds had. Both of these groups were hit as well, and they came to town looking for a place of safety,” Alex stated, ready to tell the story of what happened before Inari cut him off.

“We have our hands full with managing what happened here as it is! Taking on refugees is the last thing we need,” she huffed.

“Inari? What is going on?” Jenque asked, looking at the woman as she sat there, watching her son get treated for his wounds. Inari then told the woman about the situation at the gate, and Jenque blinked a few times, shocked at what was transpiring.

“Mind if I join in on the call?” she wondered. Inari nodded and let Jenque join in, introducing her to Alex over the line.

“So, you said that the deputies and militia won’t let anyone in? There is good reason for it, but I need you to convince me why we should help these people,” Jenque told Alex, playing politician for the moment.

“Simply because they have a common enemy. The Confederacy,” Alex told her. He then recounted what happened to the Shadow Dancers and the Children of the Wolf, outlining the most important events. Alex even told them of the Death Eagle’s complicity in aiding the Confeds, which angered the woman considerably.

“Well, Mr. Dragic, it appears you have won me over. I’ll be along with a small contingent of deputies and your ambassador to help gain you all passage into town,” she told him. Jenque rounded up Luminia, Aesha, and a few others there to accompany her to the gates of the town. They moved quickly, not wanting the impasse to escalate any further.

The group arrived after maybe ten minutes and took in the sight that greeted them. Several deputies of Tanith’s Gully, along with a few militia volunteers, had drawn their weapons and were training them on the crown that was assembled at the gates. The crowd themselves had also drawn their weapons, pointing them at the defenders of Tanith’s Gully. In the midst of this, was Alexander Dragic and Dagan Min, trying to calm the situation.

“ ... we don’t need to do this! I get that there is some bad blood here, but we all have a common enemy!” Alex pleaded, trying to get the deputies to see reason.

“Martial Law means no one gets in or out of town!! Especially no filthy, unwashed raiders who will steal everything that’s not bolted down!” one of the deputies bellowed, making his stance clear.

“We just had everything we owned taken from us and were driven from our homes! We were told this town would take us in!” Matthias argued, as he pointed a sidearm at the talking deputy.

“I don’t know you and I don’t care! You and your scumbag people aren’t coming in here!!” the deputy sneered cockily.

“Now just what the fuck do you think you are doing, Bean?” Jenque shouted. Her voice caught the man off guard as he whirled around to face the speaker.

“Watch your tone, bit...” he started to say before he clammed up, seeing who it was that was addressing him.

“Do you really want to finish that sentence, Beanie?” she demanded, cocking an eyebrow while cold fury was etched onto her face.

“No, Ma’am!!” the deputy replied as he saluted, all the bluster taken out of him. Some of the other deputies and militia followed suit, knowing full well who Jenque was.

“Now, as I understand it, these people here were seeking refuge in our town. I know my husband has enacted martial law, but we don’t turn anyone away! Especially if they have elderly and children with them!!” she railed, which made some deputies there lower their weapons instantly.

“But ... they’re not from the town! How can we trust them?” a female militia volunteer queried.

“Simple. We all have a mutual hate and distrust of the Confederacy, right?” she asked. This was met with a round of nods and words of approval. “These people are here because the Confeds hit them like they hit us! Some of them have had to bury friends and family! Do you really want to turn away people who want those scummy Confeds dead as much as we do?”

Hearing this was enough to diffuse the situation, and the remaining deputies and militia lowered and holstered their weapons. Seeing this, the Shadow Dancers and Children of the Wolf did the same, seeing no reason to spill blood. Jenque addressed the forces of Tanith’s Gully, while Luminia spoke to Alex and those who were with him.

“Seems like trouble follows you, wherever you and yours go,” Luminia joked.

“No, I’d say trouble has a pretty good idea of where we are most of the time,” Natalya smirked.

“I need to speak with those who are leading these groups that you have brought with you. They will be granted entry, but something must be given in return,” Luminia explained.

“And what exactly might that be?” Gloria questioned, a neutral look on her face.

“Those who are able-bodied enough to fight are to help in quelling the chaos that has arisen in the wake of the Confederate attack. We also require people who are willing to help with finding and helping anyone who is hurt. There are plenty of looters and opportunists here, along with wounded. The bombs did a number on the town and have shaken the people here. Any help that can be given would be greatly appreciated,” Luminia told them.

“We can give the help needed to deal with those thieves,” Leroy nodded, thinking this more than fair to gain entry to a place of safety.

“We can be of help with that as well. Along with aiding those who are wounded and cleaning up the mess that these damned Confeds left behind,” Matthias stated, earning a nod from his mother.

“What of our wounded? You said you could help them!” Cara mentioned, catching everyone’s attention.

“That we can do right now. Korsa, take everyone who is hurt and get them aboard the Darkstrider. Handle it as you see fit, and save as many as you can,” he told her.

“For that, I’m going to need some help. All of your help, if I’m going to manage this. Jaesa and Delilah won’t be enough,” she told him.

“All right then. Ladies, you heard the doctor. Let’s get to work!” Alex commanded.

Without hesitation, they all moved along towards their ship, taking all the wounded with them. Leroy and Cara were still able to fight and help, along with those who could fight with them. Many of their own were wounded, and they had lost at least a third of their tribe in the surprise attack. They moved with heavy hearts, hoping that this would help them in avenging those they lost.

“You expect us to work alongside these people? Ma’am, I know that this is a bad time for all of us, but this is utterly ridiculous,” one of the militiamen scoffed.

“Oh? You think it’s ridiculous? You think that fighting with those who want to see those Confederate scum suckers dead is a bad idea? Do you honestly think we can hold back the Confederacy on our own?” Jenque questioned the man, her anger with him apparent.

“We beat them back before, so we can do it again,” the man scoffed. Before anyone could say anything, one of the Children caught the man with a roundhouse kick to his face. The tribal who had done so was a strong and rawboned woman by the name of Zandra. She stood over the man as he shook himself back to his senses with a smirk on her face as she giggled at him.

“Think you got the balls to put me down, boy?” she challenged.

Enraged, the man hopped to his feet and charged, thinking to tackle the woman to the ground. Zandra just stood there, taking the hit, but she was not affected by it. She scoffed at the man’s effort, then slapped his head, causing him to yelp in pain as he broke away, standing as he did so.

Zandra then grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and flung him into a nearby wall, face first. Blood splattered the wall, as his nose broke from the impact of him being thrown. He groaned in pain as he stumbled back from the wall, clutching his ruined nose with blood soaking his hands. Zandra just laughed as she walked up to the man, taking his head in her hands.

“What are you...” he started to demand, flinging his hands out to ward her off.

“Fixing what I broke. Now hold still!” Zandra snapped, as she took his head in her hands. Gripping his face with her fingers and palms, Zandra used her thumbs to brace his crooked nose as she snapped it back into place. The man yelled in pain, but the bleeding had stopped and he felt better already.

“Still think you don’t need our help?” the woman asked him while giving him a look.

“I’d say the lady has made her point. Back with your team, Barnes,” Jenque giggled, thinking the whole ordeal funny.

“Now that all of this is settled, I must head back to oversee my men and storehouses,” Dagan stated, as everyone received their assignments.

“Captain Min, your help will be needed before this day is over,” Jenque pressed, needing him to get on board with helping out in town.

“And you, dear lady, will have it! But I must see to my men I and ensure that none of the storehouses where I have supplies were hit. These supplies can do much in helping repair the damage and alleviate the suffering of the townsfolk,” the man told her.

“Very well. When you are done with this, then call in to Sheriff Daved for where you can be of the most use,” she told him, seeing the man’s reasoning.

“Very good, Madam! Now, if you will excuse me,” he stated as he and his men got back into the rover and headed off in the direction of the rover depot.

“All right then, everyone. You all know what’s expected of you while in town?” Jenque asked, having finished negotiating and informing their new guests. They all nodded, happy to at least be in a place of safety, even if it was in town.

“OK. Stay with your groups, and you’ll all see yourselves looked after while you’re here,” Jenque told them all.

Everyone then got a move on, eager to be out of the exposed area outside of town. Those who couldn’t fight or help were being directed to a few of the near empty shelters and soup kitchens. Those who could do these things were grouped up with several members of the militia and at least one deputy. While the makeup of these groups was ragtag, they were accorded the same level of respect that the deputies were.

It was far from ideal for many of them there, especially those who lived in Tanith’s Gully. Though, for the moment, a common enemy united them and, for the sake of survival, put aside their differences. They all knew that no matter what, they had to fight together, if they were going to throw back the Confederacy and kick them off their world. If they didn’t, then everything they had fought and bled for would be lost.

The crew of the Darkstrider had their hands full in treating the wounded they had brought with them. They had been at death’s door not too long ago, but many of them were now in better shape and better spirits. Some people had been lost, as their wounds were too great, but they had been blessedly few.

Korsa, Natalya, Jaesa and Delilah were handling those who had been seriously wounded. People who were dealing with non-life-threatening injuries were relegated to the skills of Alex, Kasumi, and Shazza. They knew the basics of treating wounds and could help keep people stable. Taal’ani was still working on cracking the various ciphers she’d intercepted. But she did help in bringing blankets, food and other amenities for the wounded along with Tahral.

“That should hold for a few days. But make sure you check it to be sure that it has gotten better and not worse,” he told the Shadow Dancer as Alex bandaged up a nasty gash on his arm.

“Thanks! Never thought an offworlder would care about people who weren’t his,” the man smiled, grateful for Alex’s assistance.

“As you can see, I’m not like most offworlders. Now, head over to your friends there and get some rest. I’ll be back with some tea that will help with the pain and help you sleep,” he told the man as he helped him up.

The man walked over to the group of his friends who were waiting for him and had been kind enough to save him a spot to rest. At the moment, most of the people were resting in the cargo bay of the Darkstrider, as they couldn’t leave just yet. There was room for them in town at the shelters, but many of them could barely move as it was. For now, they hunkered down in the ship until they were well enough to leave on their own.

With all the less than serious wounded dealt with, Alex went and washed his hands before taking a break. He sighed, thinking about how things had gone from bad to worse on this planet. While he was tempted to leave and order the crew to do so, as they had already located Gloria and Matthias, he couldn’t.

These people who lived on this world needed their help. With the Confederacy doing everything possible to take this place from them, denying it to them was wrong. Without the help they were giving, it would only be a matter of time until the Confeds had their way with this world. Given their history in the sector, it wasn’t just the right thing to do to stop them; it was the only thing to do.

Sighing, he stood up and went to make some of that tea for the recovering Shadow Dancers. As he arrived and puttered about the galley, he thought about what was going on in town. With all that had happened and was happening, it boggled the mind with how much effort the Confederacy had put into taking the Abandoned Frontier.

He wondered if Inari had any insight from the prisoners they were holding. Alex then activated his comms, calling the woman up for both any knowledge she would have, as well as a check in. The woman picked up on the fourth ring, answering the brawny man.

“Hey, Alex. Just checking in?” Inari asked.

“Yeah, but I’m also curious if you’ve made any progress on those Confed prisoners,” he replied.

“Slow, if there’s any real progress to be had,” the woman answered.

“Well, what have you learned so far?” he wondered.

“At the moment, we know that the damage to the town was made by bombs that were planted in the sewers. They were all strategically placed for maximum levels of carnage, which thankfully wasn’t a big thing today,” Inari replied.

“Explain.”

“The bombs were placed in major arteries of the town, along with the major services the people need in town. Power, food sources, medicine, and so on. We’ve managed to wrangle the timing of the bombs to coincide with a day that Tanith’s Gully celebrates. The day Prodosia became independent of the Federation and stayed free of the Confederacy. People would have been in the streets in droves, celebrating,” Inari informed him.

“Not only devastating the people but also showing them that celebrating such things is an exercise in futility,” Alex rumbled in anger.

“Exactly! Outside of that, we don’t know anything else. If anything else, we at least forced their hand so maximum casualties were avoided. Sargol is being a snide little shit, taunting us whenever we ask him questions, while the other two just stay quiet,” she stated.

“Well, that’s something, at least! Any idea why they’re not talking?” he queried.

“Maybe they’re afraid of their boss,” Inari supplied.

“Isn’t Sargol their boss?” Alex asked, confused.

“From what we’ve put together, he is not. He sure acts like he is, but the way the councilors act around him, it’s almost like he’s a clown to them,” the Iranian woman answered.

“Do you have any idea who is the big cheese of their little operation is?” Alex questioned, wanting answers.

“Nope. I get the sense that the councilors know, but as I said, they seem too terrified to say,” Inari reiterated.

“Hmm. It sounds to me they need a damned good scare. Something that truly terrifies them,” Alex chuckled evilly.