Starlight Gleaming Ch. 10

One woman from Command and Control slowly raised her hand. "I--I think I do. Two of them."

"Your name. And do you know where they are?"

"Third Sergeant Chita, sir. Lieutenant Sheeya and Senior Lieutenant Haneeya Chantowanti. Two sisters who live together, officers in the Judge Advocate General's office."

"I saw someone here from Air Security. Where are you?" I scanned the crowd.

A strongly built woman raised her hand. "Corporal Yalcamara, sir."

"Sergeants Doyya, Chita and Corporal Yalcamara, you are now mine. Follow me." Leaving my laptop, I grabbed my satchel. Inside was a holster and my Chon .44 pistol. If Cholan and Ixma were involved in the shooting, I was going to take it poorly.

Outside the cafeteria, I led the three women to the HueCac. "Doyya, you're driving and you're in charge. Your job is to stop them from committing suicide. If you can't convince them, subdue them. I have been promised they will not face death." From my pocket, I pulled out the Beltan stunner, and gave it to Yalcamara. "Use this. Break down the door, do whatever you have to. Stun them, tie them up, whatever you have to do, on my direct orders. Bring them back here. There's not much room in the HueCac, but do what you have to. Make multiple trips if necessary."

"What are you going to do?" Chita asked. Doyya powered up the HueCac.

"I'm going to the Commissary to make sure my family wasn't there." It was out before I realized it, but that's the way it was. If Janetta's crew was her family, then they were my family, too. I slapped the hood of the vehicle. "I'm trusting all of you to do your best. Turn to!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" the women echoed. Doyya nodded as she backed the vehicle up, turned, and sped off.

I hurried up the street. I could see there was already a dozen vehicles, and almost two score Imperial Guards, gathered about. Farther west, I heard more shots being fired. I could see a couple of tracking drones in the air, zipping about overhead, and two attack helicopters hovering close by. The drones, the helicopters, and more shooting continued, moving west, farther inland.

"Hey, there!" Two Imperial Guards in power armor spotted me and cut me off. "Stop right there. This is a closed area." Their fully covered visors and the metallic echo of their voices dehumanized them. Both pointed their heavy assault rifles at me.

I raised my hands. "I just want to know if my people are here. I'm looking for Sergeant Cholan Yakalme and Corporal Ixma Ba'lanchicotl. Are they here? If they aren't, I'll move along. If they are here, I want to see them."

They paused, then lowered their weapons. One scanned my lanyard. "Identity confirmed. You will come with us, Sublieutenant." The first one led, and the second one fell in behind me.

We approached the Commissary building, near the Diner entrance. Five men lay dead on the ground, with great gaping holes in them. Blood pooled on the asphalt around them. Three vehicles were parked in the lot close by. The nearest one was a ChoCac with the door open, the driver's side window shattered, glass all over the seat, and the door .. warped? On the ground, outside the door, was a liquid mass that stank horrendously. As we moved around it, my heart fell.

The license on the vehicle was mine.

"Cholan? Ixma?" I looked around frantically. "Cholan! Ixma!" That window was rated to withstand a 20mm shell! What broke that window?

"Calm down, Sublieutenant!" said the guard behind me.

"No! That's my vehicle! My people are here. I want to see them!"

The guard up front turned around. "That's where we're going, sir. Calm down or we will be forced to stun you."

"All right, all right. Just as long as I can see them," I agreed, taking a deep breath.

Stepping through a cluster of Air Service personnel, Imperial Guards, and Imperial Security, we headed to the open end of an ambulance. Those gathered around made way for us. The lead guard said, "He's here, sir."

"Thank you. Return to your duties," I heard. A woman's voice, and as I recognized it, Commander Orchid poked her head out of the ambulance, and said, "Step inside, Lieutenant."

The Commander sat down, making room for me. On her other side sat an Imperial Security Medico. Laying on the stretcher, covered in a blanket and curled into a ball was Ixma!

Her voice shaking, teeth chattering, and her face covered by her hands, she recited her name, rank, and serial number.

Orchid leaned around me. "Sergeant! Close the door. Clear the area. We're moving out."

The back door closed, there were two loud thuds in the back, and then we were moving.

"Ixma?" I said quietly. I looked at Orchid. "What's happened to her? Where's Cholan?"

"Do it," she said to the Medico. He leaned forward with the injection gun, put the flat nozzle against her neck and pulled the trigger. There was a short hiss, Ixma jerked, and sat up, terror on her face. Her face, hands, and arms appeared sunburnt.

"Don't wanna disappear," she said, her voice beginning to slur. "I don't--Ranji? I knew you'd come for ..." Ixma reached out, then she slowly crumpled.

I glared at the commander. "What happened?"

She gave me a black look in return. "Get a hold of yourself, Sublieutenant. I am your superior officer. You will treat my rank with respect, or pay the consequences."

"I apologize. Sir. Now what in the seven hells happened? Sir."

Orchid scowled, then chose to ignore my tone. "We pulled the security camera footage from both sides of the street, and from the Commissary parking lot. That's being looked at, to see what's salvageable. From what we know, the two of them arrived, and, almost immediately, they were surrounded by seven men. They were after Corporal Ixma. The women managed to get back into your vehicle and engage the security locks. That alerted us. But, we already knew there was trouble, and were on the way."

"How did you know that, sir?"

She nodded. "I have had two people assigned to keep an eye on you, and the people with you. One for each vehicle. The one following your ChoCac spotted the men approaching, and heard the screams of the women. Your photo to me, though, was a clincher. One of the hostiles approached the locked vehicle, and over-rode the voice lockout. As Security forces moved in, Sergeant Cholan was pulled from the vehicle. I'm afraid she was badly beaten, trying to defend Corporal Ixma. Relax! She is at the Naval Hospital, and receiving the best care we can give her.

"The Imperial Security agent charged up, as the assailant reached in to pull Ixma from the vehicle. She shot him seven times. You told her you kept a pistol in your glove box?"

I nodded.

"It probably saved her life. The agent, Dohensa, ordered the men to stand down. They ignored him, and the agent opened fire. He shot two, before he himself was killed. Energy weapon. Same one that hit your vehicle, and busted the window. I'm telling you that because agent Dohensa leaves a wife and young son behind.

"About that time," she continued, "an Imperial Guard patrol showed up. The men refused to surrender, and were taken out by the Guards. The weak personal shields the humans had were no match for the heavier caliber assault rifles. Fortunately, the officer that Corporal Ixma shot, was seen by several Guards, and their cameras recorded the image, before the body disintegrated. The second one is still loose at this time, I'm afraid. It appears he also has some sort of personal cloaking device."

Reaching into her jacket, Commander Orchid pulled out the Wampag Talon, and handed it to me. "This is yours, I believe."

I took it, and slipped it into my satchel, beside the Chon .44.

"We learned something new today. We knew projectile slugs aren't effective against draconian personal body shields. Flechettes, however, seem to work just fine. The techs are speculating about what's different about them. Possibly the mass is a factor, or the area of field penetration. Maybe it was proximity? Who knows? That is what the techs get paid to find out. The point is, that Corporal Ixma shot, and killed, a draconian agent."

She touched her headset, dropping down the microphone. "Wolf Leader, what's the status on the hunt? Well, I don't care! Put up more drones if you need to. Infrared, ultraviolet. Try a science drone! Something that can read microwaves, or gamma radiation, or x-rays even. He's shielded, and cloaked, but there's got to be a way to detect him! Find him. Alive is preferred, but he's killed an Imperial Security agent and several Imperial Guard. Peek up dresses, and dance on rooftops if you have to. Just find him! You are the best, and I want that alien. Alive, but I'll take dead, over escaped. Do not disappoint me."

Orchid put the microphone out of the way, her communication over.

"If he's cloaked," I asked, "how are you tracking him now?"

"When he moves, there is a heat displacement, that infrared picks up. It doesn't last long, a few seconds, but it's something. He's already taken out nine troopers. We want his tech, but I am loathe to freely spend the lives of good soldiers, for little hope of success."

I nodded toward Ixma. "Is she going to be okay?"

The commander nodded, speaking in a gentler voice. "We know what they used. The gun fires a highly charged plasma bolt. After she shot him, she closed the door again. The burns she has are minor; most of the damage was absorbed by the special glass of your ChoCac. Once we get to the hospital, she'll get treated. I'm glad you're here for her. Initially she was incoherent, and distraught over her friend. We know she saw the draconian, because she was screaming he had four eyes, which is their natural state. They have two eyes in each eye socket. Very few people know that. She was calming down, saying you would come for her. Then she saw me, and didn't react well, I'm afraid. Name, rank, and serial, in between asking for you. We tried to question her further, but she's had a great shock. Well, you saw her."

Water lovers, the draconians are allies of Aesir-Veda. About human height, the humanoid reptiles are known for their arrogance and their fetish for copulating with humans. On average, they are stronger than a man, but are no match for someone in power armor. In their normal form, their dual eyes are a mark of their alien evolution. The human eye sees three main color bands of light. Red, yellow, and blue. Draconians see six color bands, allowing them to see farther into the color spectrum. The dual eyes sit side by side in the orbital socket; the eyes track together, but they can be closed independently. Disconcerting when you first experience it. I had seen draconians live as a child, and subsequently saw video footage, as part of my extensive private schooling. The dual eyes are difficult for many humans to deal with, so even when they reveal their basic form to humans, they camouflage their alien eyes so it appears as a single orb per eye socket.

I moved over to sit beside Ixma, taking her hand gently into mine. "Has her mother and her officer been informed?"

The commander pulled up a tablet and was tapping on the screen. "It's already being taken care of. I've also arranged for her commanding officer to meet with me tomorrow. I expect your pilot, and sergeant, will arrive at the hospital shortly after we do. There--"

The tablet made a lower sounding beep.

"Ipi curse their foul hides!" Orchid took a long breath. "Well, it was a gamble. Three injured, but no fatalities at least. We tried to remove the device from your diagnostic computer, but it blew. I'm afraid the computer is a total loss. It is fortunate that the aircraft was not inside, as it might have been seriously damaged."

Her tablet beeped again, and she tapped several times, then read a message. "Ah, some good news at least. The Empress herself, has pled the case of the women here, and the Emperor has given his written support. Any woman who is pregnant, will be retested in two weeks time, and if she is not pregnant at that time, the erroneous test results will be expunged, with no break in service."

I raised my eyebrows. "Abortion is illegal in the Empire, Commander."

She nodded gravely. "And as good citizens, we obey the law. It is unfortunate that the Seven Nations does not adhere to our ways, but they are not as enlightened as we are, are they? That such loyal citizens have endured such a malicious attack is unthinkable. It is in the interest of morale, and morality, that those most affected by the Drug Plot be given several days leave, to visit the various local attractions, to rest and relax, before returning to duty. And any who find the whole episode too much to bear, well, we will honor their request to exit military service, and emigrate, of course."

So those women who found themselves unable to abort their child, would get an honorable discharge, as long as they remained within the Seven Nations. Those who chose to abort would return to their positions, as if nothing had happened. The pregnancies weren't their fault, but considering the attitudes, it was a generous outcome.

Still, I had to ask. "Would it be within the Emperor's mercy to allow them a hardship leave of, say a year, before returning to active duty?"

The commander narrowed her gaze. "That idea has been aired before, and lacks sufficient support at this time. As the Emperor's humble servant, it is not my place to make, support, or oppose, such ideas, but to carry out the Emperor's wishes, enforce the law, and maintain the security of the Empire. Your liberal ideas do you credit, Sublieutenant, but they can be viewed as dangerous by others. Please exercise caution for your own sake."

So there was a faction working to change the harsh rules women endured in the military. That was indeed news to hear. Obviously, such an agenda would be opposed, by the same lunatics that had perpetrated the mad scheme to switch the birth control drugs, in the first place. The sheer cruelty of their plot deeply angered me, and given the chance, I'd gladly visit mayhem upon their person. If I was rubbing off on Janetta, maybe she was rubbing off on me.

"It seems that Lieutenant Tlacotli's phone service has been disrupted. Were you aware of that?" I asked.

"No." She tapped several times on the tablet, then scrolled, then tapped a few more times. "Shouldn't have happened. Fixed."

"I'd like some monitoring equipment for Janetta's hangar. Something to keep watch while they are away." I outlined the Harbinger cameras, and the type of setup I wanted installed.

Commander Orchid nodded. "I'll see to it. Hopefully today, but maybe not."

"On a different, but related matter," I continued, "several people have asked me, as an officer, to Intercede on their behalf."

"Indeed?" The commander looked up from her tablet computer. "Go on."

"They are at the Cafeteria now, awaiting my return. I have promised to hear them out. I have also told them, if they were involved in the Drug Plot, as you call it, that I was not going to protect them."

"Very well, Sublieutenant Kandikan. They are at the Cafeteria now? I will make note of it." She looked out the windows. "Good. We've arrived. This is where I take my leave. I will be in touch with you later. Sergeant, go with them, and see that the doctors have all the information they need, to treat the Corporal here, and I mean all the information. Go armed. You are to stay at her side until relieved."

"Yes, sir." He reached into a cabinet and pulled out a pistol and buckled it on.

The doors in the back opened up, and orderlies reached in. I got off the stretcher, and helped roll it out. A black ChoCac, with tinted windows, pulled up behind the ambulance, and I watched as the Commander got into the back seat. Then, I hurried after the stretcher carrying Ixma. The Imperial Security Medico talked as we moved, discussing the energy weapon Ixma had been hit with, her hysterical reaction, what treatments were recommended, and the sedative that she'd been given. The doctor asked more questions, then belted out instructions.

As we whipped around a corner, a middle-aged nurse suddenly wheeled about and blocked me. "There!" she barked, pointing to a chair. "You can sit in that chair. Let us do our job and don't interfere. If you cause any problems, you'll end up in the lobby. Understand, Lieutenant--" she glanced at my name tag -- "Kandikan?"

I nodded and sat down. "There's another one of my people here, too. Sergeant Cholan Yakalme. I need to find out about her, too."

"One emergency at a time," she said, then disappeared behind the curtain. A few minutes later, the nurse, and two others left.

Then the curtain snapped open, and a second nurse began wheeling the stretcher one way, the medico in tow, while the doctor went off in another direction.

"Doctor! Wait! What's happening with Ixma?"

"She's going upstairs for a nutrient bath to prevent scarring. She'll be moved into her room in a couple of hours. You can ask more then. I have other patients to see to." And he strode off.

Ixma was gone already. I wasn't going to do much where I was, so I made my way to Reception to await the arrival of Janetta and Zinja.

When I stepped through the doors, I saw that both women were already there. Janetta was loudly arguing with a clerk, and a marine had started in her direction.

Zinja tapped Janetta on the shoulder, and ran to me. "Lieutenant? Where's my girl? How is she? They won't say anything! Security said come here, and these navy gits are telling us she's not here."

Janetta strode over, ready to bite someone's head off. "Ranji? What's going on? Are they here, or aren't they?"

"Yes, they're here. Ixma's upstairs being treated for energy burns. I haven't heard about Cholan yet. I got here just before you did."

"My girl's alive! What did you say? Energy burns? Is she going to be all right?" Zinja searched my face for any reassurance.

"I've been told she's going to be fine. No, I don't know where she is. I'm told Cholan was hurt badly. I haven't spoken to anyone about her yet."

Just like that, Zinja's arms were around me, squeezing the air out of my lungs. "I want to see my girl!"

"Zinja!" Janetta looked at me, and tried to pry her arms off. "Squeezing the stuffing out of Ranji is not a good idea."

Zinja realized what she was doing, and let me go. "I'm sorry, sir."

It was nice to breathe again. "That's some grip," I squeaked, then cleared my throat. "Let's find out about both of them, shall we?"

"I tried that, Ranji. I got no where," Janetta growled.

Still, I tried anyway. I had as much success as Janetta. I knew Ixma was there, and had no reason to doubt Cholan was also being treated there. But it was if they didn't exist, and therefore we didn't either.

The three of us were preparing to head upstairs, and do a room-by-room sweep, when two Imperial Security sergeants approached us. Both wore sidearms, but were otherwise in summer dress. "Sergeants Diwan and Melo," Diwan said. "We are to stay with you until you return home."

I explained our lack of information, and Diwan nodded. "Let me go talk to them."

Within a few minutes, a doctor arrived and we were led to an examination room.

"I'm Dr. Brensoyet," he said, obviously disgruntled about being there. He was a captain, about ten years older than Janetta and myself. He explained that Ixma was fine, that her treatment had gone as expected, and that she was sleeping. Cholan was still in serious condition, and still in surgery. "Did you know she was taking a lot of Stim tabs? We estimate eight per day, based on her blood work-up."

Janetta started to say no, but I nodded. "She told me this morning," I said.

"Between the weight and the Stim tabs, there's been some minor damage to the heart muscle. She had a stroke when she was under anesthesia. She's severely overweight and has a drug problem. If she doesn't show progress in the next six months, we are recommending discharge from the Service."