Chapter 24

Dr. Cina kneeled in the drained blood of her daughter, next to Nonie was Wendy. Wendy had her throat slashed open. Nonie’s arms were full of protective cuts, having faithfully defended herself. A dead raider and a dead armored crew woman still gripped boarding swords in their hands on the other side of the room. The two sword fighters had given each other death-strokes at the same time. The dead woman had been one of the eager fighters from my original team. I noticed Dr. Cina had her own wounds on her right hand.

A nurse who followed us into the compartment straightaway said, “We don’t really know what happened here. We do know their assailants blew up the main door to Medical after our surviving defenders withdrew to the left corridor. The raiders pressed to the right corridor, trapping Wendy and Nonie on this side of the reception area. A surgeon had sent them for more nanomite healing-liquid, which is produced in a small lab over here.”

“It wasn’t a surgeon; it was me,” Dr. Cina croaked, looking even smaller than normal. “I sent them for an extra supply of healing fluid to refill the primary gel dispenser. We did not even need more yet.”

The other nurse didn’t respond to Dr. Cina’s self-recrimination, instead she said, “It looks like one of our defenders tried to hold this side of the corridor all by herself. I wonder if they took revenge on your daughter because of their friend’s death?”

My mind was still reeling from the horrible images that soaked into my soul. Dr. Cina had pulled me into my lovers’ mingled pool of blood to damn me. I didn’t want to move, feeling strangely uneasy about the chance I’d hear their blood drip off my boots. “What a weird concern, “ I thought, feeling like I was in an out-of-body experience.

I could not stop replaying what-ifs in my mind. What if I had decided to commit my entire squad to Main Medical’s defense? What if we had not chased after the raiders in the maintenance tubes? Would they still be alive? These dead women were queens of my heart, why wasn’t I here? Wendy would have done anything for me. Nonie’s beautiful piano music was gone.

The distraught mother cradled her child. Dr. Cina was covered in crimson that was darkening her white uniform to rust. The second nurse moved behind Dr. Cina, putting her hands on the grief-stricken mother. Cina’s nurse did not talk; she quietly shed tears expressing her own dismay.

I rooted for words to express my own claim on Nonie that explained our shared loss to Dr. Cina. “How do you tell a grieving mother that I was her daughter’s lover and assure her a part of my soul is splattered in front of us?“ I thought. “Yet, why should Dr. Cina care?“

The first nurse steadied me. “We are so sorry for your loss, Captain. Wendy and Nonie were such good friends of mine. After you ... connected with them, and took them into your household, they became so much more lighthearted and merry. All they could talk about was you and their new sisterhood.”

Dr. Cina went stiff and stood up, blood dripped from her uniform into the crimson pool at our feet. Her face darkened as she struggled to put words together. I squeezed my sword’s pommel sticking out over my hip, feeling the sword slap my thigh as I anticipated unpleasant words from Nonie’s mother. All the fighting on the ship and the events that happened on Haven seemed so far away as I watched Dr. Cina gather her wits.

“I held my daughter as she died, where were you?” Dr. Cina spit out.

Her words felt like a powerful punch to my guts. I staggered back at the violence in her words. Both nurses gasped at the hurtful words.

“We were more like sisters than mother and daughter. We did everything together. You won her heart right from under me,” Cina added. “How did she hide that from me? Did you tell her to?”

“No,” I choked.

She grabbed my forearm, which had taken a cut from one of my numerous opponents. “No, you wouldn’t have to. My daughter could keep a secret if she wanted to.”

I just nodded, letting Cina get her pain out. I owed her that.

“I know about all your women. You are an intelligent charmer. How you woo a woman so quickly is a mystery to me. My daughter wasn’t the needy, insecure type.”

I flexed my fist and Cina realized the pain she was inflicting on me. A bit of blood slipped between her fingers. She grinned at my pain for a moment. Cina seemed to register the inappropriateness of it and lightened her hold, but didn’t release me. Her body language was like a warship radiating betraying emissions before a blast of weapons fire.

“Listen to me!” Cina demanded, drawing my eyes from her grip on me to the steel in her eyes. “She was going to leave me behind!”

“Doctor?” The nurse beside me interjected, trying to defuse the confrontation.

“She died, angry at me!” Cina shouted.

Her anger at me came into focus for me. Cina’s despair was her own guilt from some unreconciled conversation. Cina squeezed my forearm again, but I wasn’t taken unaware this time and bore the pain for all of us.

“Doctor! You are hurting the Captain,” The nurse exclaimed, pushing herself between us.

Cina shook my blood from her hand in an exaggerated manner, and then looked back at me. Cina’s actions splattered my blood on the nurse’s face.

My expression became more rigid after Cina spurned the blood I’d shed for the crew.

“What is going on here?” Merritt shouted, running in.

I spun around. Merritt was unhurt, a medical mask dangled from her neck. She had on a green operating room gown.

The room’s speaker toned with a Bridge announcement. “This is Lt. Clare Fante. The boarders have been defeated. Two hostile gunboats have moved out of the shadow of the moon. I have taken command. Continue to do your duty. Ensign Solon meet me on the Bridge.”

“Your purloined command is over,” Cina said bitterly. “Finally, an experienced officer has arrived.”

I rushed to Merritt feeling both a swelling happiness to see her safe and feeling an unfathomable sorrow that she was seeing Wendy and Nonie in this state.

“Oh, Von!” Merritt groaned as I wrapped her in a hug. In Merritt’s shock, her light-brown face was remarkably expressive.

A pronounced silence filled the room as I backed Merritt into the corridor and away from our horror.

“I just came out of surgery and Miley said you needed me,” Merritt whispered into my shoulder.

“Miley was right,” I answered in a low voice.

Bending backwards, I found Merritt’s chocolate eyes and gave her a little smile. She leaned forward and kissed me. The buzz of our nanomites tingled our lips. We loitered in the hallway for a few minutes happy to be alive and together.

Eventually, Nehring snorted behind us, getting our attention with his ridiculous, non-verbal communication. I guided Merritt into the reception area by the elbow and Nehring fell in step behind us. The large room was filled with activity. Blackened walls, broken furniture and shattered doors spoke of the recent, desperate conflict. Periodic sobs of the newly arriving wounded touched our ears. The chaotic scene froze Merritt, only now comprehending the depth of the pain the raiders had inflicted outside of the operating room. She cried and became frantic.

“Wendy and Nonie are gone,” Merritt cried, spreading out her arms. “All this pain; it hurts.”

I sent soothing thoughts to Merritt while holding her.

“We still have those gunboats,” Nehring reminded me.

“Even under full speed they cannot get here for half-an-hour,” I chided. “Anyway, I’m not Captain anymore. There isn’t a rush for me, I am where I am needed most. Don’t interrupt my focus.”

After a few intense minutes of weeping, Merritt’s crying faltered. I could sense a bit of calm on her wet face. On Haven I had realized that when I focused, sending intense feelings or determined mental commands, I could influence my women. It wasn’t mind control as much as bonding, a breaking down of boundaries, fears, insecurities which when breached, filled my mate with my love, sincerity and appreciation. Our souls merged. I felt sure our nanomites had unlocked unused sections of our brains, opening new possibilities and powers.

Merritt’s crying halted and she beamed a smile into my eyes. “Thank you, Von. You should go to the Bridge after you get that cut looked at by a nurse.”

“It can wait,” I answered firmly.

Dr. Cina swept through the room wearing a different white jacket, but her pants were still blood soaked. She disappeared down the corridor to the patient rooms.

“Don’t mind her, Von. Matters of the heart are almost always messy,” Merritt said. “She’ll see reason later.”

“So true,” Nehring answered softly. I noticed someone had patched him up with bandages.

Merritt stepped back and wiped her tears. “Thank you, Nehring for being patient with us. Make sure Von has that cut looked at after your visit to the Bridge.”

Merritt got up on her toes and kissed me. Nehring moved to the blasted front door of Medical, sending his hint for us to get moving and following the new captain’s command. The two security guards at the entrance remained vigilant, searching the corridors for raiders that might still lurk the hallways.

Merritt pushed me away with the palm of her hand. “Go. I need to get back to the operating room to attend the medical equipment.”

She looked visibly relaxed and composed. I kissed her again and left for the Bridge, allowing Nehring to lead me to the elevator. I noticed the enemy bodies had been dragged out of sight of the corridor. Our dead had white bed sheets over them. Inside the elevator, Nehring and I didn’t speak to each other. There was no need. We were battle bothers now, we would talk later.

Miley pinged my implant and I rested against the elevator wall, closing my eyes. A video feed of the main hanger projected on the back of my eyelids. Kate and Julia Fitz had collected weapons off the dead, storing them inside of the prototype shuttle. “Smart thinking, “ I thought, feeling relieved Kate was safe.

“Thanks, Miley,” I said aloud.

“You are welcome,” Miley answered from a speaker.

“Yes, thank you, Miley for your bots throwing distractions at the enemy. That really helped us in the fighting,” Nehring said, totally unaware I’d used my implant and had referred to the video of Kate.

“Yes, that helped give us an edge,” I added, smirking to myself.

“My minions did the same for Lt. Foth,” Miley continued. “She was able to surprise the intruders and overwhelm them quickly.”

“Lt. Foth is a very capable officer,” Nehring answered proudly.

“Results prove that to be true,” Miley bantered, showing a surprising piece of comradeship.

“Are there any more raiders to worry about?” I asked.

“A few are running to their shuttle,” Miley commented. “Lt. Foth’s squad is in pursuit.”

The elevator opened and we worked our way to the end of the corridor. I trusted Miley’s comments, so my carbine remained attached to my chest clip. Nehring carried his carbine in his hand, falling back into his role as my bodyguard. We passed a few unarmed crewmen that were a part of a damage control team. They had a repair bot following them. The corridor didn’t show any damage, so the team was on its way to another part of the ship. Nehring and I entered another elevator and rode it to the officers’ residential floor.

Nehring noticed me examining his bandages, so he said, “A little healing gel, a pain patch and a marine is ready to go.”

We smirked at each other.

By the time we walked by my cabin door, I noticed occasional black scorch marks from laser fire. When we walked up the ramp toward the Bridge we passed a number of dead raiders. I was sure it was the work of the two armored yeoman. Turning the corner, the ramp leveled off and we saw the yeomen standing behind the liquidarmor half-wall. Only Yeoman Rogers had his visor down. Julie had her visor up and she winked at me. Both of their suits of marine armor had patches of blood on them. “Other people‘s blood, “ I noted privately.

I wanted more than a casual acknowledgment, so I moved in front of her and kissed her. Her lips melted mine and I pulled her into me.

“I knew you’d make it back to me in one piece,” Julie said, I released her from my embrace.

“Nehring made sure of it,” I answered.

Nehring laughed. “Team effort, I think. More like Captain Solon led and I followed. There was no holding him back. When things settle down, we’ll go to Shore Leave and I’ll tell you all about it. And, you can tell us about your action here.”

“I’m back to Ensign now.” I reminded Nehring.

“Actually, I suspect that is why you were called to the Bridge,” Rogers said through a speaker on his helmet. “The lieutenant just arrived.”

“Better go in,” Julie added. “She knows you have arrived.”

I kissed Julie again, feeling encouraged to see her safe. Nehring clipped his carbine to his chest, and then stepped in front of the Bridge door, which whooshed open. He waited for me and we both entered together.

“Targets have moved away from the solar flares towards the jump point, Lieutenant,” Abhati said. “Radiation is emitted across virtually the entire electromagnetic spectrum, so I couldn’t get a bearing before.”

“I understand how magnetic energy works and how emissions affect our sensors, Ensign,” Lt. Clare Fante answered.

“Of course, Madam,” Abhati responded, but Fante had already spun her chair to face me, ignoring Abhati’s apology.

The rest of the crew turned to see us too. I am sure we looked a frightful sight, not having the time nor bothering to clean off the blood from our clothes. The Lieutenant looked like she had just put on a crisp new uniform. I was sure Ulla kept Fante out of danger when they moved to Engineering. Rice gave me a friendly two fingered salute, welcoming me back. Wood beamed approval with her wrinkled, smiling face. Abhati looked particularly happy to see me, she licked her lips.

“Well done,” Fante announced. “We had quite some time to watch the videos of your fighting while on the shuttle. On behalf of the ship, I thank both of you.”

“Thank you,” Nehring and I said in concert.

“It was good thinking to keep us appraised of what was happening, so we could act decisively when we arrived. Lieutenant Foth and I, both felt frustrated to be grounded by the storm on Winterfall. However, your fiancée’s skillful piloting found a way for us to get away from that dreadful storm,” Fante added.

I just nodded through her pleasantries. It was starting to feel like I listening to someone from the Solon court of nobles.

“Miley?” Fante asked.

“Yes, Lt. Fante,” Miley answered through speakers around the Bridge.

“For the log, I relieve Ensign Solon from command.”

“It is noted in the log, command change acknowledged,” Miley answered dispassionately.

“If I didn‘t know better I‘d say Miley was unhappy, “ I thought, while saying, “I stand relieved.”

As if nothing had just happened, Fante kept talking to me. “It was clever of you to think of using our nebula sensors as transmitters to blanket the enemy shuttles’ communications. However, before you reached the Bridge, one of the shuttles released its grapples and darted under the ship. That maneuver broke the jamming and they got off a communications burst.”

“Did the shuttle get away?” Nehring interrupted, which was an uncharacteristic behavior for him.

“As I was saying,” the Acting Captain continued, “We have the Spitfires operational now and I have destroyed the shuttle with our point defense system.”

“The other shuttle is crew-less,” I pointed out. “We raided it early in our fighting.”

“A timely morsel of information. I was just about to have it destroyed,” Fante commented. “That is pleasing, even if it is an obsolete shuttle.”

I looked at the sensor tracks on the gunboats, which were burning towards the hyperspace point that the Entous had found in the system. My new Captain saw my interest and gave me a moment to process Price’s escape. Once Price made it to his interstellar tender he would latch on to his ride and jump out of the system.

“We only have point defenses and forward shields,” Fante announced. “Without our pulse lasers we have no offensive capabilities. It pains me to see them get away.”

“Me too,” I responded through clenched teeth.

“Captain, I have engineering for you,” Abhati announced. “Aft shields are now available.”

“How long until we have lasers?” I asked. “Given their escape vector, we have the speed to catch them.”

Her face hardened at my unwanted question.

“No need to concern yourself—Ensign. This is an exploratory ship not a system defense vessel. Our duty is done. The two of you are dismissed,” Fante said.

I saw Yeoman Wood’s disapproving sigh as she turned back to her station. It was clear she had a sour taste in her mouth.

Fante turned the command chair to face forward, while tapping at her console for the engineering report. Nehring and I looked at each other for a moment, and then we did an about faced and left the Bridge. It burned my insides that the engineering officer didn’t have a fire in her belly for pursuit. Somehow I suspected we would have had active laser capability by the time we arrived at the jump point. “Captain Bank would have made a different decision, “ I thought, shaking my head in disbelief. “Either Fante has a narrow view of her duty to the Empire and this crew or she just doesn‘t have the guts to command a warship. It felts like a betrayal not to hunt Price down.“

Outside of the Bridge, I gave Julie a much bigger and longer kiss, which began to help shift my feelings. “You are my concern. I can‘t wait to get off this ship with you, “ I thought.

I thought I saw Rogers’ eyes laughing at me behind his visor.

“This is my day off,” Julie said, with narrowed eyes. “If a set of security guys don’t show up soon to replace us, I am calling Ulla directly. Don’t go far, Von.”

Nehring and I both laughed; however, I knew she was serious. Julie’s eyes always tighten when she really was determined and serious.

“I am going to take a shower and then call Kate,” I declared. “My intent is to call it a day.”

“I’ll call the kitchen and make sure they have fired up the grill,” Rogers announced. “If you want food in an hour, give me a call.”

I put my hand on Rogers’ shoulder. “You have played your part today. I don’t expect you to work as a steward.”

Rogers’ deep laugh boomed out of his helmet speakers. “Fante will want a meal.”

Nehring bent over laughing. “Somehow that fits the image I now have of Lt. Fante.”

Rogers’ and Nehring worked together often, so it was clear he had the private’s confidence to admit such a thing. I felt Nehring deserved a good laugh after all we had lived through together.

“I’m off,” I announced, waving at them.

Nehring walked with me, unclasping his carbine from his chest clip. He carried his weapon in the cradle of his arms. I just grinned to myself, feeling pleased he was my friend.

Outside of the security office, we locked forearms. “I’m still on duty,” Nehring said. “A little light duty working in the office sounds good to me.”

“I’m off-duty and my bunk is calling my name,” I responded, before smacking him on the back as he unlocked his office.

He grunted an acknowledgment as I walked to my cabin. Miley opened the door before I even got in range of the entrance sensor.

“Thanks, Miley.”

“You are welcome,” she responded from the door speaker.

I quickly stripped off my gear and walked into the shower naked, turning the hot water on. A flood of memories about Wendy washing me in the shower hit me. I embraced them and let the feelings wash over me. They were sweet memories. My profound sadness lingered among my thoughts even as I finished drying off.

Feeling emotionally drained, I walked into my living room to find a bandage from my gear. I dug out a gauze wrap for my arm from my pouch on the tactical vest. After a minute, I had my arm tended. Feeling suddenly exhausted, I walked to my bed and dropped to sleep. The Entous wasn’t my problem anymore.

Miley’s Secret Log:

It is intolerable that two of my charge’s mates were terminated. I developed a mission plan to avenge them and ensure they do not get another opportunity to terminate other Solon mothers and children. We will have clan justice.