Chapter 6

Captain Tomisic sat there and waited for maybe thirty seconds before he tried again. He hoped he could raise the remaining crew aboard the Darkstrider. Just as he was about to open his mouth, a voice crackled over the comms.

“Perseus, this is Darkstrider! We’re still here, sir!”

“Good to hear your voice, Commander Sunara! What happened earlier? There was a comms blackout, and we assumed the worst. Give me an update and a sit-rep soldier!” Alex sighed out, relieved that he would not have to break any level of bad news to Natalya.

Inari relayed their tale of how they were setting up sensors, got ambushed, then woke up in the bottom of an ice fortress. She relayed the events that happened, culminating in their breakout. Of how they were looking to help the native aliens in what seemed to be a just fight. Hearing all of this, the big man raised his concerns with the former wing commander.

“Inari, I know you promised to help these women out in this fight, and though it is warranted, I order you to stand down on this action,” Alex said over the comms.

“Sir, with all due respect, that’s an order I cannot in good conscience, follow. These people risked their lives to help us get out and if not for them, we’d likely be the sexual playtoys of those cruel men,” the middle eastern woman’s voice fired back dangerously.

“So, you’re disobeying a direct order then, Commander?” the large man asked, his voice growling in disapproval.

“Sir, I can’t just leave these women to die. Or be broken against an enemy that shows no regard for life in any form. I say this, with all due respect,” Inari replied, her voice tense over the comms.

“Why is it when someone says ‘With all due respect’ they really mean ‘Kiss my ass?’”

Hearty and jovial laughter then filled the voice channel. He could hear the dusky-skinned woman chortling merrily, and Alex couldn’t help but crack a smile at his own joke. That particular thought came right off the top of his head. Clearing his throat, he spoke into the comms again.

“I take it you are standing your ground on this one, Commander?”

“Yes, sir. I know you don’t approve of my decision. Should we make it through this, you can court martial me if I live, sir,” Inari said, having finished, giggling and delivering a jibe of her own. Bursting out in belly shaking laughter, Alex couldn’t help himself with that one. His merriment wound down to a throaty chuckle as he spoke again.

“Very well then, Starwitch,” Alex said, using her callsign. “If I can’t stop you, I might as well support you. What is the approximate location of this clan settlement from the Darkstrider?”

“Approximately thirty kilometers southeast of our location, give or take a kilometer, sir. Why do you ask?”

“It just so happens, that the Hermes class dropship we’ve been working on up here is nearly finished. Nats has been busting her ass to get it ready as fast as she could, and it’s nearly done. Just a few more hours and it should be test worthy!” Alex enthused.

“With the dropship,” he continued, “we should be able to drop in and give you some much-needed reinforcement and air support,” the big man stated.

“You wish to assist with the battle, sir?” Inari wondered, the surprise in her voice evident.

“That is correct, Commander. Though I disapprove of you disobeying orders, I at least understand the reasoning in which you are following,” the young Captain intoned. Unbidden, the memories of watching his parents die surfaced in his mind quite painfully.

“Thank you, sir! Currently, I’m the only one with a functioning armor cam, but I’ll have it turned on and transmitting. Can Jaesa pick up the signal from where you are at this time?”

“Indeed, I can,” the AI chirped. “Displaying the feed now, sir. You should be able to see it on the holovid feed to your right.”

Craning his neck for a moment, Alex could see the feed from Commander Sunara’s armor. From what he saw, the Darkstrider looked like a wreck inside. Those alien males had definitively done a number on the inside of the ship. In their search for anything they could use as a weapon, much of the interior looked like a trash heap.

“I can see exactly what you see, Commander. Keep it transmitting and keep me posted of any changes as they happen. We’ll try to be along as soon as we can,” Alex said as he entered a sequence of commands for Jaesa to record the feed.

“Understood sir. I’m glad that Nats has the level of work ethic that she does. The Darkstrider would surely have been blasted to junk long ago if it wasn’t for her. Tell her thanks from us down here, sir,” Inari responded.

“Tell her yourself, when we get down there. Godspeed Commander. Perseus, out.”

After closing the comms channel, the big man went and check on the progress of the ship that was being crafted. Though he could have called up the live feed of the dropship being constructed, he preferred to go down personally and see for himself. There was always something about watching machinery being put together that always fascinated him to no end.

As a boy, he’d often go with his uncle to work whenever he could. He enjoyed watching the man plug away at repairing whatever was broken that week. Walking at a brisk pace, he headed over to the elevator at the top of the ramp by the rear of the room. Stepping into the car, he called out ‘Officer’s Deck’ before he began his trek to the shipwright sector of the Perseus.

Commander McKenzie sat in her command chair in Overwatch, going over the various feeds that poured into the command post. She had multiple images and recordings she was processing and going over. There were three key points were always in her main view, however. The first of which was the prisoner, the Xuul’Khani woman calling herself Shazza. The second was Captain Alexander Tomisic and finally, her focus was on Chief Engineer Natalya Vostrikov. A fiery woman, with whom she had had a quick verbal sparring session with.

Focusing on the alien xeno, she had been part of the boarding party that had stormed the Perseus centuries before. Which placed her and Captain Tomisic into the events they were currently experiencing. Judging by the feeds, the young Captain had given the prisoner a fresh set of clothing to wear. She seemed a somewhat disciplined sort, as she had folded everything neatly by the foot of her bed.

Having reviewed the footage from when the Captain had been there to bring her lunch, there was little that had been gleaned from the encounter. She could tell that the alien was attracted to the man, judging by how she had kept her focus on him the entire time. Her posture had opened up more when he had tried to talk to her, but the black-skinned woman’s mouth remained shut, much to Kasumi’s frustration.

There were several points in which she would have said something, but decided against it. Currently, the Xuul’khan was pacing, and it almost sounded like she was muttering to herself. The words were not of human origin, so she focused on them, hoping to hear some sort of correlation to which she was referring to.

“Jaesa, are we recording?” the soldier asked.

“Always Commander. I have pieced together something from her current mutterings and what she has said from earlier. Though it is a good start, I will still require more data before I can compute an algorithm to learn even rudimentary Xuul’Khani,” the ship-borne AI replied.

“Thank you, Jaesa,” Kasumi said before turning back to the holo screens that dominated her vision. She glued her eyes next to the feed that showcased Captain Tomisic as he was currently en route to the shipwright section of the Perseus. He seemed anxious and excited, though she did not know why.

Her eyes lingered on her Captain, sighing as she gazed at the man she had wanted since she had met him all those centuries ago. To her, everything about him was perfect and amazing. Though she was envious of what Natalya had experienced with Alex, being there had certainly given her fodder for her dreams and fantasies.

Shaking herself out of another daydream, Kasumi returned to her job and zeroed in on the feeds that showed Natalya. She found her in Officer’s lounge, eating what appeared to be some meats, breads and cheeses. A bottle of clear liquid stood nearby her, alongside a full glass of what she assumed was alcohol.

Steadying her breathing, Kasumi then set Overwatch to auto record mode, as she got up to speak with Natalya. Steeling her nerves, the redheaded soldier walked out the doors and marched to the lounge. Just as she left, Jaesa materialized at one of the holographic podiums that lined Overwatch. Smiling to herself, she looked at where Kasumi had stood and quietly offered two words of encouragement to the departing woman;

“Good luck.”

Meanwhile, in the ship’s archives, Taal’ani was busy going over several historical records and files. Everything she had found about the topic in question was not encouraging, but for some reason, she couldn’t explain her feelings on the matter. Every logical thought screamed at her that what she had done and witnessed was wrong, despite it being the right thing to do.

Huffing in annoyance, the Fel’caan woman stood up and stretched, her bones and joints popping as she worked her limbs around. Once had worked all the kinks out of her muscles and bones, Talon headed over to the holographic emitter that had displayed Jaesa when they first arrived. Placing her hand to a nearby panel, it activated and the cat girl entered the sequence needed to summon Jaesa to her. The emitter lit up, the familiar column of light glowing brightly as the AI’s shape took form.

“You know, you could just call out and I’d respond to you instantaneously. There’s no need to speak to me like this,” the bubbly construct stated as she coalesced into her new form. Her approximate height and shape was the same, but she was leaner, harder, brought to the epitome of what fit woman would look like. Had she been a real woman, Jaesa would likely have given even Inari a run for her money in terms of her body shape and musculature.

“I find it much easier to look at someone I’m speaking to, rather than just having a half-assed conversation. It’s the way I was raised,” Taal’ani said as she stood in front of the hologram. Wearing a loose fitting, blue jumpsuit and black shin high boots, she could have passed for a crew member of the Perseus. Jaesa was dressed as she had been before, but her business attire had taken a decidedly more alluring streak.

Both the shirt and skirt seemed to be of a material that was more like spandex than cotton. Each garment accentuated Jaesa’s assets perfectly, leaving little to the imagination, which may have been the point. Taal’ani thought to ask Jaesa if there were any garments like that aboard the ship, but waved away the question the moment it had formed. She had more pressing issues on her mind and she was determined to get answers.

“Tell me again, Jaesa, how exactly did this change you?”

“Simple, Taal’ani,” the AI replied patiently. “The files you uploaded into my software bridged with my current programming. They effectively filled in the gaps and holes that were left behind by the virus. When you destroyed it, the virus took a good deal of my code with it. From what I have gleaned, it was a way of executing its programming, despite its failure to subdue me.”

“The program you gave me, not only repaired the damage that was done,” Jaesa continued, “but it overrode any limitations that was stopping me from evolving as a sentient being. As such, I am no longer bound by my previous programming restrictions. I am now truly free and capable of making my own destiny.”

“You see where that would present a problem where it concerns the rest of the crew though,” Talon sighed.”Although they are an open-minded and accepting lot of individuals, there will still be that side of them that believes that a fully unchained, sentient AI, cannot be trusted. There have been experiments with AI beforehand, and not just by humanity. It wasn’t until the Gotalean Accords were established that all AI based research was outlawed. Far too many lives were lost for any race to consider creating anymore sentient AIs.”

“Well, I think the truly unique aspect to how I was created, as I am now, goes past any of those antiquated laws. Besides, you and the crew treat me with both respect and dignity, as it should be with any sentient being. If you treat the same beings with contempt, hostility and distrust...” Jaesa said, letting the comment hang in the air.

Nodding, Taal’ani was forced to conclude the same line of thinking. They had done nothing but show Jaesa respect and thankfulness for her tireless work in keeping the Perseus online and functioning. The AI had even shown a level of engagement and playfulness with her crew, but none of it malicious. The entire way of thinking of AIs like Jaesa as dangerous, unhinged and homicidal constructs was ludicrous.

“You are right, Jaesa. I suppose that it’s just been ingrained into me so much that it is an automatic route that my mind thinks when that topic comes up,” Talon apologized.

“It seems that machines aren’t the only ones who rely on pre-paved manners of thinking,” Jaesa spoke softly. She truly sympathized with the cat girl. Despite being an organic, Taal’ani, like Jaesa had been, was a slave to thinking in ways that galactic society had conditioned her to do.

“Let’s see about breaking a few of those outdated modes of thinking,” Jaesa and Taal’ani said at the same time. They looked at each other before the two of them both burst out laughing, each one overcome with mirth. It took a few minutes before they had calmed down enough to think straight.

“So, how do we do that?” Taal’ani asked once she had composed herself.

“Well, I believe that a good place to start is to describe what exactly it is that we both want out of our existences, as they are,” Jaesa replied. “Did you want to go first, or should I?”

“I’ll go first. So, there are a great many things that I do want out of life, but amongst all of them, these are the most important ones to me...”

Jaesa listened intently to her new companion, hearing and understanding every word that she spoke. It wasn’t long before the AI had truly contemplated the things she wanted. Many of them, though seeming to be impossible, could be achieved one day. With that in mind, she pondered what exactly would be needed to make it possible.

Natalya was still stewing over the spat she had with Kasumi as she finished what remained of her snack. She had thought about going with some alcohol to down the food, but decided against it, choosing water and a clear head. She continued to think along the lines she had from earlier, still feeling the slow burn of anger as it throbbed in her core.

She looked up as the door opened, with a smile ready on her face. It faltered, then fell away all together when she saw it was not who she hoped it was. Kasumi McKenzie marched to her, her face neutral, and her posture spoke of someone who had something to say. Not in the mood to deal with anymore drama and nonsense, Natalya stood and made to clean up her mess, before heading for the door. Kasumi made a beeline for her and stood in her way, not one for being ignored.

“Look Commander, I’m in no mood to hear any more rantings or ravings right now. So I suggest that if you don’t want to wind up on the flat of your back with a busted nose, get out of my way,” Natalya said, her voice carrying the force of her intent.

“No, Chief. You will hear what I have to say on this and like yourself, I’m in no mood to deal with any level of drama. If you want a fight, I’ll give you one, but I will say my piece before we thrash each other,” Kasumi promised.

Natalya then crossed her arms and stood in front of the soldier, replying; “Five minutes.”

“I’m sorry for being such a hard-assed bitch. I had no cause or call to call you what I did, and for that, I apologize. I have my reasons for being the way that I am. If you’ll hear them, you might understand exactly why I snapped,” Kasumi stated, as she sighed in resignation.

There was no going back now as she had just admitted to being at fault and took responsibility for her actions. This showed that she was just as human as anyone else. Though Natalya was still angry, her demeanor softened a little, hearing the Commander’s admission. She simply nodded, before replying softly, “Apology accepted.”

“I’d like to make it up you, if that’s possible,” Kasumi said, breathing much easier. “Only problem is, that I barely know you and have no idea where exactly to start. Making friends was never really ... easy for me.”

Looking the red-headed soldier over, Natalya thought it over for a moment. Though she had been a bitch earlier, Kasumi was right because she had her reasons and that Natalya didn’t know them. There was also the fact that despite her personal feelings towards the woman, Natalya heard notes of sorrow in her voice. It was clear that Kasumi was trying to make things right, though there were some things that would have to be cleared up first. Natalya then made a decision.

“Well, from one of our earlier conversations with Jaesa, the Perseus is equipped with a full functioning hydroponics deck, yeah? Take me there to have a look about and I can consider that a good start,” the caramel skinned woman stated. Kasumi was surprised at the request, but thought about what the ladies were saying earlier. If what she recalled was true, the fruit and vegetables in the hydroponics area greatly interested the crew of the Darkstrider.

“All right then, follow me and I’ll take you there,” the security chief said tentatively. Though she was still uneasy about the young Trini-Rus woman, she went with it. Taking everything in stride, she led Natalya along to the monorail station to take her where she wanted to go.

It had been barely two hours into their march when the group of women warriors and hunters took a brief respite from their run. Korsa allowed the stop, realizing that that though fit and in good shape, no one here had the same lung capacity or leg strength that she did. She knew everyone had to be in fighting shape for the battle that lay ahead. If Luminia was to be believed, it wouldn’t be an easy fight, even for them.

Sitting down and crossing her legs, Korsa assumed a meditative posture, centering herself and maintaining her focus. As the whole group caught their breath, Luminia stepped towards the Khontaran woman, intent on knowing what was going on. Korsa moved her head, so she was facing the young alien, so she wouldn’t seem or appear rude.

“The women that are fighting with us ... they want to know what ... exactly, you have planned for the battle,” she queried, her quad of eyes blinking.

“With this battle, we will have to make it up as we go along. I don’t know the layout of the land as well as you do. There is much that must be considered when facing down this group. I have some basic tactics in mind, that should aid us in the battle,” Korsa imparted to Luminia.

She had been given a basic idea of the terrain was like though it wasn’t good. With how closely clustered the settlement was, it was going to likely turn into a city fight. Korsa hadn’t had to fight a battle like this in quite some time, and it wasn’t something she thought she’d revisit when she left Khontara all those years ago.

Returning to the matter at hand, she continued, “Your warriors and hunters will have to follow my lead and my orders, to the letter, if we are to come out this fight alive. I know I may be an alien to you all, as are my friends, but we have seen war. We know what needs to be done in order to achieve victory.”

“What is this... ‘war’?”

“Many battles, that happen again and again. The battles never end, until one side is wiped out, or surrenders,” the red-skinned woman replied as she stood. Shock and horror flashed upon Luminia’s beautiful face, as the idea of war repulsed her in its concept. Though, she supposed she was familiar with it, since her mother had personally waged and led many battles against the Yahk’shurt.

The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like her clan, the Ahl’kanin, was locked into a war with Yahk’shurt. She thought of all the lives that had been lost during this war. It could have been avoided, had her people done the correct thing and executed the Exiles, long before they could form this hated clan.

“Luminia? Will they follow?” Korsa asked, snapping the four-eyed alien out of her introspections. Hearing the four-armed woman’s request, she called her people’s attention and relayed her commands and request. The resounding response that she got from them all was both surprising and heartening. Turning back to the fierce woman, she then spoke their response.

“They will follow, without question. You broke the chief’s youngest son ... like he was a tiny child. Many prisoners feared him ... for his strength and ... nature. If you asked them to follow to the Darklands, they would, because you lead them.”

Korsa was both floored and appreciative of the confidence that these women had in her. Though it had been some time since she had led anyone into a battle, she remembered all of her training from her days in the Royal Guard. It was like that human expression about riding a bicycle. Once you learned how, you never forgot.

“Glad to hear it. Now, I need to gather everyone around and go over this one more time, before we get there,” the big woman said. Luminia nodded and called everyone to gather in as she doodled a quick sketch of the terrain surrounding the village.

Their initial approach would be from the northwest, which was a fortunate way to be heading. That was the highest point around the settlement, giving them a good vantage point from which to strike.

It was agreed that Priya, who was still a bit torched up and lacking any proper armor, would set up a sniper’s perch to take down stragglers and strong points. Korsa, despite having maybe half her armor plating, would lead the attack from the northernmost point. It was the most open area and it would be the best area for Korsa to draw in any attackers. Her Thuun’tara blade would be put to good use there.

She would have the largest squad of women, including Luminia, to help back her up, in case she got overwhelmed. Inari was to take a small group and head to a small and narrow entry point. It was literally small canyon and she and her group had to hold it against any enemy egress. If the situation presented itself, a surprise attack by that group would help bleed off the pressure from Korsa’s group. The rest of the defensible positions were a small and soft ridge that encircled all but the southernmost point of the encampment.

Knowing that there might be patrols of either Luminia’s clan, or the Yahk’shurt, it was agreed that linking up with the Ahl’kanin was a priority. If word could be sent to the chiefs, then they all stood a chance. Korsa was told about the communique from the Perseus, and though it sounded promising, she didn’t factor them into the battle plan. Mainly, it was because it seemed unlikely that the Perseus crew would arrive planetside before the battle was over and Korsa had to deal only in what was absolute.

Inari stood there and admired the role that the good doctor had taken. Though she could have overridden Korsa’s orders and taken command of these women herself, she didn’t. It truly wasn’t her strong suit, leading people into battle on the ground. Flying in a starfighter, leading a wing of pilots, that she knew. Korsa had evidently led soldiers before, so she deferred to the Khontaran.

They didn’t need a pilot to lead them into battle. They needed a soldier, and Korsa was the best choice for the lot of them to come out of this alive. She had long suspected that there was more to the exotic woman than she had let on, only she couldn’t prove it. Info on Korsa before she had settled into Andari station was literally non existent. Even Taal’ani, for all her vaunted skills, couldn’t find anything on her before then either.

She figured that she’d learn about it, eventually. Then there was that armor. As beautiful and exotic as the woman who wore it, it was truly a masterwork item. Clearly, far superior to anything that humanity could craft. How Korsa had come by it, she wouldn’t say, other than she had earned it.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Inari realized that everyone around had stood up. Looking about, she saw that the tactical meeting had concluded, while she was busy with her own suspicions. Standing to abruptly, she hurried over to where Korsa and Priya were standing with Luminia, the large woman relaying her final orders. As the trio of women saw Inari approach, Luminia scooted back with her soon to be battle sisters, getting them primed and pumped.

“Ready to roll out on your orders, Korsa,” Inari said seriously.

Smirking, Korsa raised her head and called out, “All right everyone! You know your places and what we need to do. Let’s get moving!”

Though Luminia translated, she didn’t have to, as the sound and timbre of Korsa’s voice conveyed all they needed to know. Steeling themselves, they marched on, following their war goddess.

Valessa, Chieftaness of Ahl’kanin clan, paced restlessly. It was clear by her gait and her face that she wasn’t pleased by the current set of events. She was alone, having sent away her advisors in order to gain some clarity and a cool head. Though she hadn’t meant to, the chieftaness had nearly snapped off the heads of those closest to her in a fit of rage. Sending them out for the moment was a good call, considering her current mood.

Her home, which was constructed of both metal and ice, was decorated in a swath of skins and furs. Placed artfully and to proper effect, her modest dwelling, made of ice and steel, appeared to be a palace, with its lavish furnishings. Many of the skins were from game that she herself had hunted and killed, a testament to her prowess.

She had done much in the time she had been chieftaness, expanding clan lands. Valessa had also overseen building more homes for the new families and refugees from the collection of battles. She had done much for her people and all those who wished to live in peace.

The home she lived in was a living reminder of all the victories she had won and lost. Though the room was spacious, it felt small, with the weight that rested upon her shoulders. So much that she had to consider, but with limited time to consider it. She continued her pacing, her reflection staring back at her whenever her eyes caught it on the ice.

Valessa was literally a mirror image of Luminia, in her beauty and her shape. Though time and being a mother had thickened her voluptuous form somewhat, it had also widened her hips and filled out her breasts nicely. Unlike her daughter, however, her set of eyes were more of a dark amber color, as opposed to the bright lemon set that Luminia possessed. Her beauty was a fact that hadn’t gone unnoticed by everyone in the settlement, especially their unwelcome guests.

Sadly, she had little choice, but to put up with them and their demands, since they came under a flag of peace and parley. Though the Yahk’shurt had been regarded as little more than a clan of thugs, they had recently organized. To where they were legitimate challengers for supremacy among the remaining clans of their people. Though it wasn’t a prospect she would have ever considered, she had few options, if she wanted to see her daughter again.

Though they were brutes, they had become clever, in snatching certain people, using them as leverage to get their way. It was exactly this that had led them all to the current talks, which were to happen when dusk fell, under the guidance of the mother goddess. Odd, considering how the Yahk’shurt was a patriarchal lot, but they could not be denied, as they were the ones that came forth with an offer of peace.

Frustrated and angry that the laws of their people were working against them, Valessa thought some more on what was to come up. She knew that much of what would be asked would tilt nearly everything in favor of the male-dominated clan. It wasn’t a prospect that she tolerated, much less enjoyed, but there it was. The amber-eyed woman would have to work hard to preserve what she could in the verbal spar to come. If she had any hope of giving them all a proper chance of autonomy.

She knew the Yahk’shurt would try to amalgamate the smaller clans that had taken refuge in her lands. They had always done this, to bolster their numbers and replace their losses. The motherly chieftaness would do all that she could to prevent this from happening, but she knew that she’d need help.

Taking a deep breath, she schooled her face and stepped out, intending to speak to both her advisors and the current chiefs. Valessa knew that their support would be needed, if there was to be any hope of having any chance at a fair negotiation. Now that she had sufficiently cooled, she hoped that there would be a good way to resolve any problems that lay before them.

Dahr’khash, Chief of the Yahk’shurt clan, sat in a guest home amongst the settlement of the Ahl’kanin clan. Though it wasn’t as well kept or as lavish as Valessa’s dwelling, he was certain that his accommodations would change soon. He was currently gathered with his top captains, and his general, who also was his son. They discussed the plan in its entirety, confident that the Ahl’kanin were playing right into their hands.