Starlight Gleaming Ch. 21 Pt. 05

"Enemy agent--"

"No!" Calia interrupted. "You came here for help! You don't have to die. Trust me. I can help you! Your device takes too much from your body while you're injured. Turn it off and let me heal you!"

Ja-See looked at Calia, to me, and desperation turned to hope. "All right."

Her hand moved to her hip, I heard a click, and the woman herself changed. Laying before me, still wounded and bleeding out, was a draconian female. The fine scales were two-toned in color. Her belly, neck and face were the palest cream, while the back of her hands, arms, and elsewhere were a navy blue. Taking her hand, I found her scales to be smooth and cool to the touch. More gracile than their male counterparts, her face was quite human in shape, and even her teeth were similar to ours. While the rest of her was visibly hairless, including her lack of eyebrow hair, she did have a short mop of medium brown hair on her head, parted in the middle. I was surprised as I had thought all draconians were bald.

I knew about their double eye-set, the result of their world orbiting a binary star system, but seeing it in person, I found it striking rather than unsettling; the orbital cavities were large but not overly so. There was a split down the middle, and the iris of her inner set was gold, while the adjacent outer set iris was blue. She had no breasts, of course, not being a mammal, nor even a belly button. Even so, her humanoid form and more delicately shaped arms and hands, and even her face was human and female enough in appearance to overshadow her alien physiology. Despite her severe trauma, I considered her features to even be remarkably attractive. All of these observations were absorbed at a glance.

Before anything else could be said, Ja-See seized up for three full seconds, then collapsed.

Calia yelled, quickly moving back, "Ranji, give her CPR! Keep her heart working while I heal her wounds!"

Moving to the other side from me, Calia maintained physical contact with Ja-See's mid-section. I quickly found the apex of Ja-See's ribcage, moved up two fingers' worth higher, positioned my hands and began compressions, counting out as I worked. Without being ordered to, Mack hunkered down, tilted back Ja-See's head, checked to make sure the airway was clear, tilted the head properly, and every fifth compression, she administered rescue breathing.

Scowling in frustration, Calia shoved away the bloody bandages and laid both hands directly onto the weeping punctures. I forced myself to focus so that I didn't lose count.

Barely two minutes later, Calia announced, "Okay, that's good. You can stop now. She's critically weak from loss of blood, but... I'm working on that."

Concerned, I used my hand to wipe away the blood, but the lacerations beneath had been replaced by closed-over lines of pink amid her cream-colored smoothly-textured scales. I stared a moment, glanced at Mack, who also took in the changes, then to Calia - whose energy level was clearly diminished. Having seen this before, I was concerned that this amazing woman now get the sleep she needed to recover. I was confident that Ja-See would live, thanks to Calia.

Calia exhaled, then stretched out next to Ja-See, closing her tired brown eyes as she drew the injured woman into her arms. Ja-See was draconian; was woman the right word for her? No matter.

Mack swallowed, then nodded as she took in what was happening. She had already witnessed remarkable, even amazing healing performed by Calia, and seemingly took this new situation in stride. What was an alien female compared to this awesome power through simple touch?

Then my phone rang. My hand bloody, I unthinkingly retrieved it. I glanced at the display. Unknown number. I answered, "Kandikan."

"It's two minutes after zero eight hundred hours, Commander. Why aren't you at your desk?"

Immediately irritated, I snapped out, "Who is this?"

"General Ulee'ar, Commander. I don't care what you're doing, get your ass to your office, on the double! Am I clear, Commander?"

I looked at Ja-See's blood on my hands and shirt, spatters on my trousers. "Can I at least—"

"What part didn't you understand, Commander! I gave you a direct order! Carry it out!" Then he hung up.

"I have Lieutenant Fromm," came a voice from the hallway. It was Akama, Mack's partner. She startled at seeing Ja-See's true form, but recovered quickly. Having been in a similar situation herself not so long ago, I'm positive that seeing Calia embracing the alien female helped settle any fears Akama might have had.

Mack got up, and hurriedly went deeper into the house. I briefly heard running water, then she returned, handing me a wet towel. I wiped down my hands and cleaned my phone as much as I could.

"I heard what he said," Mack told me. "Ja-See helped us a lot in the fight underground. I'm glad Lady Calia was able to help her. I hope this isn't the start of a shit day. We've already had too many of those recently."

"That's for sure," Akama echoed.

Standing up, I put my phone back into my pocket.

In the dim light, I don't think the lieutenant noticed the fact that one of the people still on the floor was an alien, seeing the uniform, the blood, and Calia's familiar face. He saw me and saluted. "What's happened, sir? Who did this?"

"That is Lieutenant Ja-See and she works for me," I said. "Find a blanket and cover them up. Till we know better, we have to assume her body has gone into shock and needs warmth. Calia is to remain with her until she herself says otherwise. Look around to one of the bedrooms, see if there's a blanket that you can use. If they don't move after an hour, ask Sergeant Sowitwee to help move them to a bed, as he's a trained Medico. There is a guard at the front door and at the open west wall. Secure the premises and restrict entry. This is classified top secret, Lieutenant Fromm. When Calia comes to, if she gives you any instructions, you are to follow them as if they had come from me. Am I clear?"

Quickly snapping out another salute, he briskly answered, "Yes, sir. Loud and clear, sir."

"Wish I could stay, but unfortunately, I have to leave. Don't let me down, Lieutenant."

He nodded. "Llam nuqan, Commander!"

I grabbed my satchel. "Mack? Akama? Are you coming with me?"

"Yes, sir," they replied.

"General Ulee'ar has ordered me to get to Air Security without delay, not even to change into a clean shirt, so we'd best turn to!"

"Yes, sir!" they echoed again.

We exited the house, passing the trooper still heaving by the plastic sheet barrier. Once outside in the light of dawn, Akama rushed over to the cruiser and got into the driver's seat.

I swung by the open front door and yelled out, "Cholan, grab your gear and turn to!"

The cruiser backed up and I climbed inside. Cholan scrambled out the door and hurried over as Mack held the rear passenger door open for her. Once she was secure beside me, Mack hopped into the front seat. Akama flipped on the emergency lights and floored it. We were on our way, dodging down already busy streets.

At Cholan's startled fascination with my blood-spattered shirt, I said, "It's not mine, it's from one of my special security operatives. Calia's working to save her right now."

Cholan nodded silently, almost as if anything unusual involved Calia and needed no further explanation.

The number of people who owed their lives to Calia continued to grow. I certainly counted myself among them, and her forewarnings had also even more lives. Instead of being alarmed by what others would claim to be evidence of the supernatural or dark magic, I was comforted that this woman that I knew loved me deeply was focused on helping those around her whenever she could.

I asked, "Mack? How did you happen to find Ja-See?"

"Lady Calia, sir. She asked Akama to find the duty officer and go next door, and for me to follow. Led me right to her." The two troopers glanced at each other.

I nodded, then started thinking about what I'd seen and the implications.

Based on the amount of blood present, it was obvious that Ja-See had been attacked and barely made it to the house next door. Even near death, she must have deemed it too dangerous to stay where she was and call for help or call me directly, possibly wanting to hide the fact of her injury or her survival. Of course, I knew that cell phone transmissions could be intercepted by unfriendly ears, and they carried quite a fair distance. If they had tried to kill Ja-See, they likely knew she worked for me and would likely monitor my phone and any communications with Dispatch.

Calia's involvement was unexpected, but I was fairly confident in Ja-See's survival. I was also fairly certain that whoever had tried to kill the Lieutenant was in for a rude surprise down the road. The fact that Ja-See's aborted information sharing had begun with the phrase, "enemy agent." Security training was quite clear; if there was one enemy agent, don't assume he or she is working alone.

I also had to assume these enemy agents were after the new technology, and no matter who they worked for, they would kill anyone or commit any sabotage in order to thwart our goals.

Still, the revelation of Ja-See needed to be discussed. "Mack? Akama? Does it bother you that Ja-See's draconian?"

Cholan looked at me, startled, but kept her peace.

"Yes, Commander, it does," Mack admitted, her face troubled. "But Lady Calia is not only a true healer, she knows things, sees right into the hearts of others. She wouldn't have asked us to help someone that was evil."

Akama nodded in agreement at Mack's words.

Cholan's experience with draconians to date had resulted in being hospitalized with serious injuries, and the attempts to kill her officer and me.

I said, "Last year, when I was being treated for my bullet wound at Brader Naval Hospital, a draconian female saved me from two other draconians who had definitely intended to kill me. Lieutenant Tchanoonka and Sergeant Stimmi were with me at the time. I am fairly certain Ja-See is a member of the Order of Quetzal, a clandestine group hunted by their own government. Among other things, the Order of Quetzal objects to the killing and eating of humans, stating that humans should be treated with respect. It's important that we keep Lieutenant Ja-See's status a secret, including that she's still alive."

"Yes, sir," they echoed.

My shirt was still damp with blood spatter and smears, but my hand was accessible. Cholan slid her hand over into mine, and I gave hers a squeeze. Yes, there was dried blood on it, but at this point, it wasn't likely to smear onto her hand.

I wondered why General Ulee'ar was at Air Security, and about his brusque order to get to the 602's HQ without delay. I could have come up with many possible reasons, but decided to just enjoy holding hands with Cholan.

"I love you, Island Girl," I murmured.

She giggled as she blushed profusely at my declaration, and whispered, "I love you, too."

Akama slowed down as we entered the busy parking lot, mindful of pedestrians and other drivers. She halted in front of the main doors to let us out. Mack got out first, scanning around before she opened my door. Once Cholan and I were inside the building, she returned to the vehicle; it was standard protocol to stick with one's partner even for so short a task as parking a cruiser. While security vehicles broadcast their locations on a restricted frequency, in an emergency and if the driver became incapacitated, the partner would know where the vehicle was parked. More importantly, the emphasis was on keeping sight and sound on their partner's whereabouts, even when they were guarding someone else. Another change was in a security trooper's weapons. Each of them had two holsters, one with a firearm and one with a stunner, with the holster for the stunner matched to their primary hand, so that in an emergency, they would reach first for the stunner, not their firearm. As a result of that change, the number of shootings and fatalities were much lower than for other security regiments.

Cholan and I signed in, and continued through to the busy operations area of the Air Security. While the Desk Sergeant asked if I was all right, I explained the blood belonged to someone else and I hadn't yet had a chance to change.

Deeper inside the building, support workers typed, security troopers came into or left through a set of doors leading to the lockers, to break areas, or to the armory and holding cells beyond; stairs and elevators led to a score of other possible destinations.

In front of my office, I saw an impatient man in an Air Service uniform pacing by Hanami's desk. He bore a single sun on each shoulder board, which most likely made him General Ulee'ar. Two full lieutenants loitered nearby, neither of whom I'd seen before, and along with them were three civilians, one of whom was richly dressed. The latter was likely Lord Nicsoll Roshan, the representative from Itcha Aeronautics, finally deigning to appear.

The scowling general saw me approaching, took two steps forward then halted, eyes fixed on my blood-spattered uniform.

I saluted, which he returned with disdain.

"Commander, your uniform is a mess! Is this how you usually show up for your duty shift?"

"General, you ordered me to come here without delay. At the time you called me, I was rendering CPR to one of my people."

He rolled his eyes. "CPR? What the fuck is that?"

"All security troopers in the 602 are required to take first aid as part of their training requirements," I explained. "CPR is short for Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation. First Aid and CPR are normally only taught to Medicos. At the 602, both are part of the training given to our field troopers. Such training saves lives, and I demonstrated that to the satisfaction of the Air Marshal during his visit."

The general snorted in derision. "You're an officer, Commander. Rather than let your uniform become soiled, you should have ordered someone else to render this... whatever you said it was."

"CPR. There wasn't anyone else available. One of my people was hurt and I acted. The people in my command matter to me, General. In the meantime, I have a spare uniform in my office closet if you will give me the time to change."

The general shook his head, retrieving a folded piece of paper from his vest pocket and holding it out to me. "Waste of effort, Commander. Here! These are your new orders."

"What's this?" I asked, opening the paper to read what it held. Transfer orders! With my name on it!

"Oh, will you relax! It's temporary. You're going to the 1267, Commander, to get Ground Security up and running. The Base Commandant thinks that with their new attack craft being thwarted by the Navy, the Atlanteans may try sabotage or worse. High Command agrees."

With initial disbelief, I realized there was another paper behind the first. It was a short memo from the Commandant extolling his confidence in me to successfully undertake this task and the urgency in getting the morale of the 1267 boosted. I was shocked, to say the least. Then I read that Doyya would have command of the 602 while I was gone. That fact alone made this whole thing suddenly a lot more palatable.

In my peripheral vision, I noticed many others had stopped what they were doing to listen in on news that affected their lived directly. I also noted Mack and Akama standing nearby. Hanami, of course, hearing the general speaking, was as stunned by the sudden news as I was.

Then the general growled out, "I tried to offer my services and my years of administrative experience and take command of this regiment while you were away, but the Commandant refused, saying something nonsensical about needing experience in security. When this woman officer with less than a year's experience makes a mess of things, it'll become clear to everyone what a mistake it was."

My hackles rose, but I remained calm. "I'd say it's rather too early to dismiss Captain Lovyanchiti, General. She is brave, smart, works hard, and thinks on her feet. That woman officer you are disparaging saved the life of the Air Marshal himself! But a few days ago, she successfully commanded a company of Air Security troopers and two companies of Ground Service mechanized infantry in an intense fight against more than a hundred armed criminals within their own lair, and did so with minimal casualties. After distinguishing herself in battle, she also managed the rescue of more than two hundred captives, many of whom are Imperial citizens. She is a good officer. She's earned her place as my Second."

The general's face soured further. "Be that as it may, we have other matters to resolve, Commander. This is Lord Roshan. Because of the Atlanteans, the Empire has suffered serious losses related to this high priority project to upgrade our front-line interceptors. Lord Roshan has directly been tasked with overseeing this vital project. You will turn over any and all materials related to that project over to Lord Roshan at once!"

I frowned. "General, despite this being Air Security and focused on security matters for the Air Service, this second matter should have been discussed in the privacy my office. Be that as it may, the damage is done." After glancing at Cholan, I said, "Once I receive the proper written orders authorizing such a transfer to Lord Roshan, I will do so."

The general stepped closer to me. "I just gave you a direct order, Commander. You will follow my orders or suffer the consequences!"

I scowled back. "I am tasked with security, General. The materials were accompanied by twenty armed men ordered to protect the prototype materials handed over to me, and since that time, dedicated guards have remained on duty in my office to protect those materials from unauthorized access. With all due respect, your verbal orders are not enough. I require written authorization before I release said items into the care of anyone else. I also need to confirm the credentials of Lord Roshan."

Continuing, I said, "Under normal circumstances, I would initiate a scrambled communications link via satellite and confer with the proper authorities. While we have partial cell phone service, thanks in no small measure to Sergeant Cholan here, the hardline phone center is partially damaged and as of last night, was still undergoing repairs. While we have secure landline communication within High Guard itself, we do not have secure access through the Seven Nations. Our secure link with the rest of the Empire, the undersea cable connecting us to the rest of the Empire, has been severed. Until the exact location where the break is at can be located, undersea repairs cannot take place. In addition, while the Atlantean raiders did not damage the satellite communications center, a hunter-killer satellite took out High Guard's dedicated communications satellite, eliminating encrypted communications to the rest of the Empire. Even with encryption using directed lasers, aerial transmission is problematic as it can be intercepted by foreign agents. Secured landline communication with High Command is preferred over satellite communication unless the threat level is considered low - which in my role as the highest ranking security officer at High Guard, this project exceeds that low security threshold. I have no doubt the Empire will launch a replacement satellite soon, but at the moment, secure and direct visual with High Command is not possible at this time. No transfer will take place without written orders directing me to turn these items over."

Gesturing, I added, "In the meantime, Lord Roshan can accompany me to the front desk and submit to a retinal scan and I can verify his level of security clearance - at least as of five days ago with the backup records we have from Imperial High Command."