A Big Shiny Blue Marble Ch. 54

I also know that we are to be held in reserve otherwise. The appearance of a reaction unit such as this one can often spell the difference between continued fighting and sudden capitulation if the others in the conflict have any knowledge of us and what we would do if the fighting continued."

"And what it that, Xhan?" she asked.

He shrugged, "End it quickly. We are not regular troops, as I have said. Once begun, the most difficult thing is to get us to stop. We fight on until it is won or we are no more. No one from this unit in its long history has ever yielded, preferring to perish rather than to be forever known as the first one to surrender.

But if Merren officials there are harmed, or their families, or if the Xer who are sent there to quell what may become an uprising soon are attacked by large numbers of armed insurgents, then we would be called.

I do not wish for you to see the slaughter of the beasts on Lorthian, though for the purposes of your coverage and enlightening the people of Merren, it might be a good thing. But Jerrthi, I have no wish for you to see the scene on Ethens. That should be reported even more by you, I think."

He looked down then, "Ethans is on the brink of civil war and somehow we have been placed in the middle of this and will be used to do what the regular Xer cannot unless there are thousands more brought. We would not engage the Merren rebels there at all if they were not armed, but it is rumored that they are, Jerrthi. That changes everything."

He pointed to a small emblem worn on a thin collar around his neck. Jerrthi had to stand on her tiptoes to even see much of it.

It wasn't very large or prominent in any way. It was just an emblem which contained a background of gray. In the middle of that, Jerthi squinted a little in the dim light where they stood and she saw the stylized Xer skull. In the top left hand corner, she saw the Xer numeral '1'. Underneath it all were more tiny symbols. It took her a moment to make it out, but she did finally read, "Forty-third Expeditionary Brigade'.

He sighed and looked down, his face very troubled. "There must be some mistake somewhere.

This unit -- us," he said, "We are Death hounds. There are only seventy of us, all that the Merren government would pay for. I would imagine that for the cost of having us here, that they will wish to use us. We are too costly to use as only insurance on the ground this far away."

Jerrthi lost her balance then and fell forward against Xhan in shock.

"Oh, Xhan," she whispered as though she was a little afraid of something, "Even I know what that means. Would they really use you to kill civilians?"

He frowned, "I wouldn't have ever thought so. The unit has a long history in the battle order of Xer, fighting whatever the foe was. I have never heard of them ever being used like this. If this nightmare begins to happen, then you must report on it -- you have to, so that everyone knows."

He looked up a little then into her eyes, "There is no honor in this. Something must be wrong; some messages must have gotten crossed somehow.

Unless ..."

Jerrthi looked at him. She didn't like this look at all for the way that he seemed to be faced with something dark and foreboding.

"Xhan? She asked, "Unless what?"

"Unless we are here for another as yet unseen purpose. I saw in the contract wording that we are here also for emergency use, should events force the requirement. I thought little of it when I saw it since it is often included in our contracts as a catch-all phrase."

He smiled a little then, "This is surely an error, Jerrthi. Come on, please, let's enjoy this rather than allow a mixed-up message -- which I read unofficially -- to ruin what is becoming a very special evening to me."

She nodded and he began to turn to lead her back to the party, which was still going strong in the main hall of the canteen.

She pulled his hand and he turned back. Xhan's eyebrows shot upwards in surprise as Jerrthi's arms found their way around his neck and her mouth was on his. He relaxed instantly and she pulled herself against him more tightly as he felt her tongue glide over his lips right in the middle. Jerrthi had always loved to be kissed. She hadn't felt this in so long and Xhan wasn't anything like Bronn.

He didn't look like him and he didn't sound like him and he didn't have the sort of arms that Xhan had that felt so good around her.

She could actually feel her heart in his embrace and she thrilled at how his body could excite hers in just seconds. She still loved and missed Bronn, but she so needed this, the unfamiliarity helping to ease any pang of guilt that she felt.

She moaned so softly as she pushed her tongue into his mouth and at that instant, Jerrthi felt as though she was breathing again

Still hurting over Bronn and now confused over what she felt for Xhan.

But finally feeling as though she was breathing again.