I knew it was coming, all males were conscripted at the age of eighteen. Only this year there were not as many males so they had lowered the age. In our system men were conscripted into the military for five years. If they survived the men received grants for a family and land. Only they not only conscripted me they took my only sister.

She committed suicide after she was gang raped by the cadets that were to train her. Training for conscriptees was mostly just teaching us how to point and shoot weapons that were old and normally surplus. I was lucky because I already knew how to shoot and was a natural. Four weeks and a regiment was crowded into a transport for the trip to War.

That was a planet many races, systems and governments used to train or settle disputes. Empires, kingdoms, federations, republics as well as other types of governments had made laws and rules for everyone that came here. All bombs not exploded had to be removed when the armies or fighting parties left.

Any and all mines had to be removed or exploded. Anything brought in had to be taken away. There were other laws and rules too. The officers were arrogant and thought they knew everything. The non commissioned officers were different, they were cruel and brutal sadists. My system government came here to wager on how we did each day and not over all.

With poor training and weapons we had little chance. The starport city of Assembly was neutral territory and any fighting was looked at closely with fines and expulsion from the planet. The area around the port city had thousands of buildings. They were made to house or support different types of military.

We did not stay there long before we were sent north and across the continent. A race of insectoids needed opponents and paid to fight us. Our first encounter came three days later while our company was leading. The first platoon was engulfed by the huge insects that seemed to just come out of the ground.

Unlike our weapons that fired five millimeter plasma rounds, they were using a weapon that fired a sonic lance. One squad dropped before we reacted and began shooting. I knelt and aimed and fired and that was when we found out about spider mines. They were a third of a meter across with ten legs like the insectoids.

They moved in a straight line until they reached a tree and they would move around it. If they reached a person they would leap up and implode. The fighting was intense and the enemy spread out to engage us. Men panicked as the officers yelled commands no one understood and the sergeants hit and kicked soldiers to get us moving.

When it was over the insectoids had pulled back. The sergeants went to any man wounded and gave them grace as they called it. I searched the fallen and dead insectoids and picked up a wand like weapon which was their sonic lance. I also took a couple of dozen charges that went into the butt of the wand.

We pulled back and the sergeants began putting us in a perimeter. That was when I saw the spider mine moving through the forest towards us, "Sergeant!"

He cursed as he started walking towards me, "damn script, what now!"

I looked at him as the spider reached the perimeter and leaped. It imploded and the entire upper half of the sergeant vanished. I looked around and shrugged, "there is a spider mine."

A few of the other soldiers looked at me and one started laughing. They grinned and started telling the others what had happened. Soon others were letting spider mines through or calling for a sergeant and ignoring the mines until they killed an officer or sergeant. Each day we had encounters with the insectoids and more of us died.

We got little sleep and slop to eat with water that gave us diarrhea. The officers always made sure we stopped in the mid afternoon. All the officers and most of the sergeants would go into a huge tent for dinner. The conscripts had the privilege to serve them like we were nothing more than a slave.

One week and the whole thing came to a head. We had found out if we used a radio for more than five seconds the insectoids would send spider mines or fire mortars. I was on the perimeter dreaming of real food while the officers and sergeants ate. I looked up at the sound of incoming mortar rounds, "someone is going to die."

The men around me nodded and then there was the impact. It was a couple of hundred meters behind the lines and I frowned before more incoming mortar rounds began to land. I looked at the other men, "I think that is where the officer mess is."

They grinned and I stood before looking for the sergeant. I stayed low and moved back until I could see the regiment officer and sergeant mess tent. It was shredded and a private was moving through it giving the officers and sergeants grace. I turned at a yell and ran towards my position as the insectoids began to attack.

They had never attacked during the dinner hour. I dropped into the shallow hole that was my position and began aiming and firing. It was not long before men started to run out of ammo. The insectoids were inside our perimeter when I ran out and pulled the sonic lance. I could not aim it as well as the insectoids but at close range I did not need to.

I went through several charges before I had an idea. I moved out of my position and started moving forward of our lines. I thought that if they were like other insects they would be controlled by a leader. I was right, a kilometer in front of our position I killed several soldiers acting like sentries.

I moved to look towards their vehicles and saw four insectoids with long colorful antennae. Another richly decorated one was behind them and I started aiming and firing. Once they were killed the insectoid soldiers began wandering around aimlessly. I moved out into the open and crossed to the richly decorated one.

I looked at his sonic lance, it was covered in gems so I took it as well as a fancy knife. I got fresh charges for the lance from the others before heading back. What I found was devastation, almost everyone was dead. There were only a handful of us left alive with insectoid soldiers wondering around.

One of the others said they sent a message back but did not get an answer. I went to look at the officers and sergeants and they were shredded. I had been hoping one would be alive to get us out. I found their equipment where the entrance of the tent had been. I took the regiment commander's weapon, a large twelve millimeter plasma pistol.

I took half the weapon harness of another officer and his pistol, a slim ten millimeter. It was a few hours before large drone carriers arrived and began collecting equipment. The insectoids straightened and marched away as if nothing had happened. That was when we found out the nobles had abandoned us.

That was also when we found out about our rights. Because we had been abandoned we could claim anything from our government. I jumped on that and pointed to the regiment commander's mobile quarters, "I claim that."

That began my new life, by the time we returned to the port the nobles had packed and left. I parked the mobile quarters in a quiet part of the port and started looking for work. I was surprised at the number of jobs and jumped on one. It was as a cargo loader using a giant bio loader that unloaded or loaded cargo from cargo ships or freighters.

The only schedule I had to follow was the one from the port cargo master. We were paid by them and they were paid by the government that needed the cargo loaded or unloaded. I stepped forward and the huge machine copied me as I reached for the huge crate. I caught the sides and lifted as I stepped back and turned.

I took the dozen steps to set the crate down on the grav tram that would take the crates out of the port. That was the last of the cargo for this ship and I straightened before entering commands into the loader. I undid the bio feed back net on my head and the straps on my arms and legs.

When I was finally free I climbed out the open back and paused to hit the enter key. The loader turned and walked to the yellow painted lines before it began the long walk back to the maintenance shed. I turned as a dozen officers that had cut under the ship almost ran into me. One reached out to shove me and my hand moved in a reaction.

I caught his hand and bent it as I turned and twisted it. He screamed and went down and the officers reached for the weapons on their hips and I yelled, "security!"

Six port guard drones flew towards me as the officers realized I was not alone. I pointed to them, "these men are trespassing and one attacked me."

The first drone to reach me turned and shifted and I had to step back as it slid between us. A holograph appeared over it of the area and played back the area surveillance quickly before it shut off, "you are guilty of trespassing and assault of a port worker. You are fined one thousand credits and a level two notice is placed on your governments admittance permit."

They stirred and one spoke, "we appeal."

The one I had put down stood, "that ... peasant laid hands on me."

The drone hummed as I smiled and waited, this was not the first time I had witnessed this. Another holograph appeared, this time of an alien in robes, "cause for appeal?"

The officers looked at each other and the one I had put down straightened, "this peasant laid hands on an officer of..."

The alien stirred, "appeal denied. You are guilty of trespass and assault of a port worker. You are not authorized to be in this area. The assault took place while you were breaking the law. You will leave the area immediately."

The holograph vanished and the drone hummed, "move along."

They grumbled and glared but the security drones got them moving and they left. I moved to the grav tram with the large cargo crates and looked at the recorded data before sending it in and then sitting on the back seat as the tram headed for the edge of the port. I was thinking the whole way back, the officers had been from my system which meant they were returning to fight.

I smiled, it also meant I could claim something else from them. When the tram slowed I jumped off and started for the office as the tram turned to head for the cargo transshipment area. I checked my next scheduled shift before going to my locker. I put the weapon harness on and checked both pistols before leaving.

In the time since we had been abandoned I had received neural net training on armed and unarmed fighting. The others that had been with me had managed to find a way off planet so I was alone. Well not quit alone since there were a few thousand people from dozens of races. I headed towards the port entertainment center to eat.

The few merchants that lived and worked here made a lot of credits on those that came here. They also sold their products at cost to those that lived here. I walked through the now busy mall and waved at the few merchants that were not busy. I hesitated when I saw the small party of women and girls I recognized in a jewelry and sundry shop.

It was one of the few places I did not shop but it was the women and the crest they wore that drew me. I stood in the doorway and listened as they talked and giggled. Two of the girls were daughters of my system's king. They made their purchase and the group started for the door and I smiled, "hello girls."

They quieted and an older woman sniffed, "leave scum."

I laughed and pointed to the two girls, "Sofia and Olivia, as one abandoned by my and your world I claim you as mine."

They looked at each other and the older woman hissed, "how dare you!"

I looked at her calmly, "careful or you will join them. Tell their father I will have my whores trained for his soldiers to use before they leave."

I reached for the older girl Sofia and caught her wrist, "come."

I pulled and she hesitated before looking back as I took her sister's hand and pulled her with us. I walked through the wide mall corridor and they finally pulled back and resisted. I turned to face them, "you are conscripted and mine by our law and the law of War. Resist and I will put you in restraints."

They looked at each other and Sofia spoke, "you can not conscript us."

I smile as I turned and started pulling them after me, "actually I can. I looked up our system laws and it states no citizen is or will be exempt from conscription. Now War is different but as one abandoned by my system I can seize property of my system up to and including servants or conscriptees."

Before they knew it we were outside and I was putting them in a public conveyance vehicle. I sat beside Olivia after putting in the destination and she shifted away, "what are you going to do?"

I looked at her, "what does our system government do with female conscriptees?"

Sofia looked passed her sister, "but those are volunteers."

I snorted, "my sister was taken to be a whore. She was gang raped and committed suicide rather than be one."

They looked at each other and stayed quiet for the rest of the ride. I pulled them out and after me as I walked the two kilometers to my home. I opened the door and pushed them up the steps. Inside I stripped them as they struggled and pushed them both into chairs. I went through everything they had and disabled the two comms and the comps.

I looked at the girls as I turned to the tiny kitchen, "are you hungry?"

Sofia stood and took a step, "please ... dad will pay..."

I looked at her, "will he bring back my dead sister?"

I turned and brought out three meal packs, "if I were you I would relax."

They did not eat but I did and then tossed everything into the recycler. I pulled them into the small living area and pushed them down on a couch. I put a popular play on the small holograph table and turned to pick up a remote as it began. I kept an eye on the girls as I brought the hidden vid cameras on line.

I used my comp to register my claim to the girls with the planet claims court. When I looked at the girls they were watching the play and smiling. When I saw the soldiers stalking through the area I made a report to the port security. Armies coming to War are restricted to their assigned barracks or areas until leaving.