Starlight Gleaming Ch. 10

* * * * *

A very short time later, I pulled into the parking lot assigned to Logistics and Supply. There were vehicles in the lot, but a lot fewer than I expected. It was supposed to be the start of the work shift. I went around the corner to the front entrance.

Over a dozen men, and a few women, were gathered together, talking quietly. Some had looks of fear, and a couple looked downright afraid. I sidled through them, climbing the steps to the main entrance. There was a sign on the front door, bearing the masthead of the Air Service. It was a notice stating that all staff assigned to Logistics and Supply were granted a one day leave for today, but to return the next day, at start of shift, for roll call, and possibly new assignments. There were assurances that everything happening was by the Emperor's will, and that soon everything would return to normal.

A third sergeant asked me if the notice was legitimate.

I read the notice again, scanning the bottom. It was signed by the both General Dagantochtlo, Base Commander, and Group Captain Hanastoctli, of Imperial Security. The notice had the holographic seals of both the Air Service and Imperial Security.

"The orders are signed and sealed," I confirmed. "Back here in the morning. They're doing roll, so make sure you aren't late."

Going home for more sleep sounded very good. I started down the steps.

"Lieutenant!" It was Second Sergeant Matiwatli, the aide for our unit commander. "Imperial Guards took you yesterday, but here you are this morning, like nothing happened. Do you know what's going on?"

"Not all of it, no," I told him. Eyes riveted on me, hoping for answers. I was the only officer there. "I gave testimony and saw an execution, but that was in the Medical Division. I heard some things yesterday, but I don't know what I'm at liberty to divulge. The orders on the door are clear. Do what you want today, and be back here tomorrow, bright and early."

Another called out, and I looked. She was a Corporal. I didn't know her name, but I'd seen her before. "Sir, there's a rumor that Commander Orchid is actually here at High Guard. Is--is that true? Is she really here?"

I took a breath. "It's true. I spoke with her last night." Mutterings and wide eyes. A few disbelieving. I held up my hands, trying to calm them. "Look, I've heard nothing, I repeat, heard nothing to indicate there is going to be a purge."

A purge occurred when a unit was deemed so corrupt that every single member was executed, and the unit number was retired in shame. But it was rare. The last purge I recalled, was during the Chon Revolt, almost twenty years ago.

"Keep your wits about you," I advised them. "Be here tomorrow. We will all find out what's going on together."

The corporal crossed her arms, holding herself tightly, tears beginning to spill. I looked around. There was real fear here, worse than what I saw in Command and Control yesterday. "Sergeant Matiwatli, have you seen or heard from our CO yet?"

"No, sir. You're the first officer I've seen this morning."

The corporal began crying, and fear rose a notch.

"That doesn't necessarily mean anything bad," I said. "He could be giving testimony, at a meeting somewhere, or who knows what. Calm down."

"Lieutenant?" asked one. "You've been here a couple months now. You know we are loyal to the Emperor."

That was the problem, I thought. I didn't know them very well, if at all.

Another spoke up. "You're an officer. Will you Intercede for us?"

People were scared for their lives. What I was being asked was, is if I, as an officer, would offer them protection. The tradition was old, from the days before Queschua began conquering and uniting the rest of this part of the world. If they confessed their crimes to me, before being caught, they could face punishments ranging from demotion all the way to slavery. But, they would very likely escape execution. And, it would protect their immediate families. Those who waited until evidence was brought against them would not be so lucky. Some might think execution for thievery to be overly harsh. The warrior code of the Empire held honor as more important than life. However, these thieves had also pledged their loyalty to the Empire. That compounded the act of thievery with one of betrayal. Socially, warriors are only outranked by the priest caste. Priests and hereditary warriors are the Empire's noble classes. Enlisted have a chance to earn permanent warrior caste status for themselves, and their immediate families. The demands are high, especially for women, but there are rewards, and upward mobility is just one of them. Zinja was formerly a Free Farmer, but if she made it to twenty years service, and showed she knew a demonstrable skill, she could muster out as Guild Caste, and have a small monthly pension besides.

I folded my arms and surveyed their anxious faces. "All right," I said at last. "I'll take confessions, and do what I can for you. Who seeks my protection?" Everyone raised their hands. "Seven hells," I said. "You, too, Matiwatli?"

He nodded, then looked down, embarrassed. "Commander Orchid always gets the bad guy, sir."

"If you haven't done anything wrong," I told them, "you have nothing to worry about."

"She drinks the blood of her enemies." Several others echoed that opinion.

"I heard she cooks and eats their hearts, in front of their children," said another.

"Enough of that! Sergeant Matiwatli, get out your personal tablet. Take down everyone's names, and email me a copy of that list. That way, if anything does happen between now and whenever, I will have your name, and can verify you have asked for my Intercession on your behalf. I'm going to go. Whoever truly wants me to Intercede for them, meet me at the Cafeteria at lunch hour. Be prepared to stay a while. I will bring a recorder and take down confessions. You should expect that Imperial Security will use truth drugs to verify you have told everything. You have the pledge of Sublieutenant Ranji Kandikan that this is so. I should warn you, however. If you were involved in tampering with the birth control drugs, do not expect me to have any mercy with you."

I saw the three women present were stunned by my last words. Well, I'd deal with them, too.

I moved down the steps, and the enlisted moved aside. Matiwatli turned on his tablet computer, and began taking names, and contact information.

As I rounded the corner, all three women hurried after me. "Lieutenant! Lieutenant! Wait up!"

"Yes?"

Besides the corporal, there was a sergeant and a private. "Please, sir, can we speak to you in .. in private?" It was the weeping corporal.

I motioned and we moved farther around the corner. "Okay, what is it?"

Her lips trembling, the corporal said, "I'm .. I'm pregnant, sir." I looked at her name tag. Rilli.

A normal enlistment ran five years. Women, however, could file for resignation at any time. The catch was that you had to take a pregnancy test before the paperwork would process. If you weren't pregnant, you exited honorably, with a fifty credit bonus for each full year of service, unless you qualified for a pension. Annual pensions began at completing twenty years of service. If you were pregnant, it was a dishonorable discharge, and a fine, and if you couldn't pay the fine, it might even mean temporary indenture until the fine was paid. A lot of families did not willingly accept the return of a woman and child, with no husband. Chances for survival, for mother or baby, weren't good.

"I'm pregnant, too," the sergeant said. Her name read Doyya. I could see she was mad, but she was also scared. "Eight years of service, all gone to shit, sir. I could spit nails. Somebody did this to us on purpose?"

I looked at the private. Sosha.

"Not me, sir," Sosha said. "At least, I don't think so. Oh, gods, I hope not. But, I--I am scared, sir. Every time I leave or return to the Women's Compound, I get fucked by one of the guards. And both my sergeants, they make me take my break with them every day. You said someone did something to our pills?"

She had a very pretty face and large breasts. And I suddenly realized she had a real problem. "Yes," I confirmed. "They swapped out the regular birth control tablets with fertility drugs. If your pills are blue, stop taking them immediately."

"Fertility drugs?" Sergeant Doyya swore and Sosha blanched. The corporal just started crying again. Doyya whirled on her. "Knock it off, Rilli. It's not helping. You are going to help us, aren't you, sir?"

"Look," I said. "I can't make any promises, but I will do the best I can. This isn't your fault. And, if you know of any other women with your problem, get a hold of them, and have them come to the cafeteria. I'll do what I can for them, too." I reached into my satchel, and pulled out my laptop. Setting it on the hood of my vehicle, I powered it up.

The women tried to gather around to watch what I was doing, but I shook my head, turning the screen away. "I'm afraid I can't let you see this. Stand over by the driver door." The computer booted quickly. Accessing the email program, I wrote a quick email, addressed to Capisco Travel Guides.

I wrote, 'I know this is the busy season, but what is the plan for those affected by the tainted goods? Thanks. -- R.' When the email was gone, I powered down the laptop and put it away.

The corporal and private stared off at nothing in particular. The sergeant, however, watched me intently. "This is your vehicle, sir?" Doyya asked. I nodded. "A sublieutenant with a brand new ChoCac. And if you did what I think you just did, I feel a lot better."

"Just what do you think I did?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Sir, I think even voicing my opinion is way above my pay grade," she answered. "Come on, Rilli. I know at least four, no, five women I need to talk to. I'm sure you know some that I don't. We want to let them know what we learned, and be back in time to meet with the Lieutenant."

"But what are we going to do?" Rilli whined. "I don't want to go back to my parents. My father and uncle will say I'm a whore, and beat me!"

The sergeant slapped her shoulder. "Get a grip, Corporal Rilli! Let the Lieutenant work on things. I believe we just did the smartest thing in the world." Frowning and sniffling, the corporal rubbed her arm. Doyya looked at the private. "Sosha? You coming with us?"

The private looked at me, pleading. "Can I stay with you, sir?" She must have seen I was unhappy with the request. "Please?"

"All right, get in the ChoCac. See you later, Sergeant. Corporal." I got in the driver's seat and flipped the power switch. The vehicle quietly hummed to life.

As I drove, I thought about all that was happening, and wondered if the gods of chaos had somehow escaped and were just getting their party started. I glanced at the private. She glanced back, but kept her hands in her lap, saying nothing. I headed back home to West Seashell Lane.

The vehicle parked, I shut it off. "We're here," I said. Grabbing my satchel from the floor, I got out, and shut the door.

Sosha meekly followed me inside. Running on little sleep the past few days had me feeling a little ragged at the edges. Setting my satchel on the counter, I reached into the fridge, and grabbed a beer. A little alcohol would help me relax. "Sosha, you want a -- what the seven hells do you think you are doing?"

Her trousers and underwear at her ankles, she leaned over the arm of the couch. Sosha looked confused. "Sir? You--you want a different position?"

Cholan chose that moment to come out of her bedroom, still in her short nightshirt. She took in the private, dropped her mouth open, and then shut it. Folding her arms, she leaned against the wall and watched us.

"Private, did you hear me tell you to drop your pants?"

"No, sir. But you brought me to your house, so I thought--"

"Get covered. I appreciate the offer, but no thank you. I am beat and I'm going to take a nap, so that I can be fresh for what will likely be a long afternoon."

Cholan started to grin.

"You behave yourself," I warned her.

Cholan raised her hands and drew a line across her lips, her amusement plain.

Sosha looked at Cholan as she finished pulling her trousers back up. She took in the neckerchief in Cholan's hair, and then seemed to notice the huge emblem for the 233rd Interceptor Group on the wall.

"Are you really going to take a nap, sir?" Cholan stood up. "Because I'd really like to have you lay with me until I have to get up."

I shook my head. "I'd love to, but no, I'll doze on the couch. Way things are going, I have a funny feeling I better stay dressed."

"Let me get my blanket and some pillows." Cholan disappeared back into her room.

"She's your woman, sir?" Sosha asked quietly.

"Yes, she is," I answered. "Sosha, if you want something to drink, there's beer, mineral water, and juice, too. Help yourself. I'm afraid there's not much entertainment. Not even any books or magazines, I'm afraid."

"It's okay, sir. To be honest, I can't read very well," she admitted, then she hastily added, "But, I am getting better at it."

The couch was the only comfortable place to sit long term. There was the chair at the small table, with the desk computer, a kitchen chair, and a bar stool. Not much for entertaining visitors. I shrugged. One thing at a time. Settling into one corner of the couch, I sat down, taking another drink of beer. It wasn't going to take much to put me under, I thought.

Cholan came out. She made me lean forward and put one pillow in the corner, to help support my head. Pushing me back, she took the half empty beer from me, and set it aside. Kissed me affectionately. Using the second pillow to prop her body up a bit, Cholan put the blanket around her legs, curled up with her head on my lap, and closed her eyes.

* * * * *

I woke up to Janetta speaking quietly, urgently. "Cholan? Cholan, get up. I need you to go down to the hangar now."

Opening my eyes, I glanced at the watch. Only an hour. And my neck screamed in protest at the slightest movement. I looked at Janetta, blinking stupidly.

Cholan rose, rubbing her eyes in panic. "Oh, gods, I overslept, didn't I? I'm so sorry, Lieutenant!" She rolled off the couch and tried to squeeze by her officer.

Janetta shook her head. "No, you aren't late. I'm early. Cholan, I had a complete failure in my avionics. I need you to help get my bird fixed ASAP." She was still in her flight suit, and it was dirty from smoke, and still sported the dried blood from the night before. She smelled of jet fuel and burnt plastic, and several strands of hair had escaped her Jaguar hair clasp. I was worried. She'd had a major systems failure, and she was calm, almost subdued about it.

Cholan paused. "A complete failure? All at once, or did you lose the LRAT first?" LRAT was the acronym for the Long Range Targeting system.

"I lost the LRAT first. Why?"

"Do I have time for a shower first, sir?"

"You've got to fix it, and do it quick, Cholan. You tell me."

"I won't know until I open it up, but it doesn't sound good. I'll be ready in twenty minutes, sir."

Janetta turned to look at Sosha sitting in the corner. Nervous, the private rose up and saluted.

"Who is this, Ranji? And why are you here instead at work?"

"I love you, too, Janetta." I stood up slowly, rubbing my neck. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" she suddenly snapped. "But my Lightning appears to be toast, and I don't have a fucking clue as to why! You didn't answer my question, and that pisses me off." She turned to the private, moving to get in her face. "Who the fuck are you, and why are you in my house?"

I moved between them. "All right, Janetta, that's enough! Before I answer your question, I need to know that you are not hurt. That aircraft can burn to slag on the tarmac, as long as you are safe. I need to know. Are you all right?"

Janetta glared at me, then the next thing I know, she's got her arms around me, and she's kissing me hungrily. I kissed her back, getting into it, and then she bit my lip.

"Ow! That hurt, Janetta!" I shoved her away. "How do you go from kissing, to trying to remove my lip?"

"I'm fine. Now fill me in."

Her black eyes looked predatory, and I could see Janetta evaluating Sosha. Was Janetta jealous? Did she just mark me in front of a strange woman? My neck hurt, and I was already grumpy.

"That's Private Sosha. She works in Logistics and Supply. I got to work, and there was a notice that the office was closed until tomorrow. People got frightened, and asked me to Intercede for them. Sosha, I believe, received blue pills, and has been taking them." Sosha nodded. "She asked to stay with me until this afternoon, so that she isn't molested."

Janetta glanced at me, at Sosha, then turned away. I took her arm, and turned her back to me. She looked ashamed.

"I thought you brought her here, to our house, to fuck her," she said. "I assumed the worst, and I'm sorry, Ranji. Whenever I see you, I still have to remind myself that you love me, and I love you, and all this isn't just a crazy dream. Your reason for not answering my question, well, it surprised me. I am not used to someone really caring for me like that. I'm trying. I am. But it's not all my fault, you know. Sometimes you are impossible, but being a man, you can't help that."

I almost burst out laughing. I'd heard that complaint about men in general, before.

"I'm such a bitch sometimes." Janetta threw her arms around me again. I held her, stroking her back.

"No, you're the Queen Bitch," I reminded her.

"So I am," she admitted. "I was fine, until I got on the ground, and then I got scared. That has never happened to me before, Ranji. In the air, I'm not scared at all. I don't even think of the aircraft as being separate from me. It's all a part of me, and I just do what needs to be done."

Janetta took a long breath. "When I got back on the ground, I lit into Zinja and Ixma. I mean really lit into them, yelling, and saying things I'm ashamed to repeat -- until Zinja showed me what they did, and it was by the book. Gods, Ixma sobbing, and begging me not to send her away. My first double shift, and I'm so tired. I've got a mountain of reports still to finish, my aircraft is .. I don't know. I might have to sign out another aircraft. If I do, I want it checked over, before I have to fly it. Everything is crazy, Ranji, but I see you, and hold you, and I feel okay. If I had the time, I'd drag you into our bedroom, and make you pound into me until I saw stars." She lifted up her head off my shoulders, and held my face in her hands. "I love you. I'm such a mess right now, and if I didn't have you, I don't know what I'd do."

What could I say? I just kissed her. Slow and gentle.

"We're both buried in work at the moment," I told her quietly. "It sounds like you are not planning on getting any sleep before your shift tonight. That's not good. You need down time before you fly, or you will get hurt, or even killed. The longer you go without sleep, it becomes a when, not a maybe. Trust your crew to do right by you. If Zinja is working at the hangar, who's going to make food for you, and them? All of you going without sleep, and food? No way. Call the Commissary Diner right now. Order up food and drinks--"

"We've got a whole fridge full of drinks, thanks to you. And Zinja has an industrial size pot to brew cahault."

"Fine," I told her. "Good, actually. But you still need to eat. Real food, Janetta. Call up and order four meals for each of you. Whatever you don't eat, bring home for later. You can pick up the food on the way back to the hangar."

"That's a really good plan, Ranji. Wish I could. Computers are down. Have been since yesterday. And my phone doesn't work."

Computers are still down? I wondered if that is what Doyya meant. I pulled out my phone and opened it up. "Active service" read the display. I showed it to her.