Walker Brigade - Book of Incidents

"I'm so sorry. Would you like something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine until the Admiral gets here."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, sir, I'm sure." Silence enveloped us once more.

Twenty minutes to the second, Admiral Jones arrived. He was announced by Admiral David's orderly, then shown in.

"Well, Shor..." He stopped when he saw me. He took the chair next to me, all the while frowning. "What's this about, Shor?"

"Here, read this," Admiral David said, handing Admiral Jones the file that I had compiled.

Admiral Jones opened the file and started to read. He began nodding his head as he read as if he was agreeing with what was in the file. He read the whole file, closed it, sat for a few minutes looking down at his hands and smiling.

"Ok, Shor, who gave you this information?"

"Chief Latham, Jonesy." Admiral Jones turned toward me.

"You do know how to cause trouble, don't you young lady? No need to answer." He sat shaking his head. "Well if a Chief Warrant Officer has noticed and now a Full Admiral knows, I guess there is no hiding it anymore."

"Hiding what, Jonesy?"

"That the gangs of New York are trying to take over the federation."

"Isn't that some kind of delusion they are having? Come on, the Federation, you must be joking?" Admiral David said with disbelief.

"They've been planning this for some time, from the way it looks. They started about three years ago, very slowly. They now have members placed in some very strategic positions, plus a fair number of boots on the ground, so to speak."

"Well, what do you plan on doing about the situation?"

"I'm going to let Chief Latham and her bunch, take care of it." He was looking at me with a smile, a deadly smile.

"Aye, sir," I replied. "Just what would you like for us to do, Admiral Jones?"

He opened the file and took out the two lists, the one that Cadet Du Page had given me and the one that I had received from my query. He took a pen from Admiral David's desk and started to cross out names on the list I had compiled. When he finished, he handed them back to me. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Arrest these people and bring them to DevCom HQ." He pulled a sheaf of papers out of his breast pocket. "Here are the arrest warrants."

I took the warrants and shuffled through them. Where the name went on the warrants were all blank. "There are no names on any of these."

"Fill them out as you use them. There should be enough there to cover those names on the lists. When you are finished with those, I have another list that you can work on. I'll have the warrants ready for you when you bring those in. Clear?"

"Crystal, sir. What about the names you crossed out?"

"They, like the young lady in your squad, Chris Shonner, no longer have any affiliation with anyone in New York. You can get started now," Admiral Jones said to me.

"Just a minute, Jonesy, she works for me now."

"Yes, sir," Admiral Jones said.

There was a long silence while Admiral David mulled over what he had just heard. He looked from Admiral Jones to me, then back again. He reached for the file, taking it from Admiral Jones, then reached to me for the lists and warrants. He read the lists, then he read the warrants. He sat looking at both for a few minutes, before coming to a decision.

"All right, all right, Becky," he said, handing me the lists and warrants. "Do as Admiral Jones wishes, but bring the prisoners here instead of DevCom." He held up his hand to Admiral Jones in a signal to be quiet. "The second list Admiral Jones has for you will be here, along with the warrants, all filled out." His steely gaze was directed to Admiral Jones.

"Aye, sir."

"Yes, sir." Admiral Jones replied along with me.

"Becky, you are dismissed. Go do your duty."

"Aye, sir," I said, snapping to attention. I turned and left.

As I was walking out the door, I heard Admiral Jones ask Admiral David, "Are you sure you want to handle it this way, Shor?"

I didn't hear the reply.

* * * Max Jones

It was pitch black out, not a star in the sky if it even was the sky overhead. I wasn't running; I was walking very slowly. Actually, I was limping down a gravel path from the feel of it beneath my feet. I was limping because I had no shoes on. I stopped, wondering about my shoes. All of a sudden, I was bathed in brilliant white light. I looked up to see what the source was, but couldn't discern where the light was coming from. I looked around me. I was on a gravel path; I could see the edges in the circle of light around me. There was grass to my left. I slowly limped to the grass, and groaned in pleasure, as the sharp rocks no longer cut into my bare feet.

Another circle of light flicked on twenty meters to my right. Becky was standing in the circle in all her naked glory. Head back, arms stretched out to her sides, legs spread slightly. She was beautiful. It took my breath away just looking at her. I started toward her but ran into an invisible wall. As I watched, Becky rose above the ground and floated in midair. Her face contorted in pain, as an invisible force pulled her arms and legs in four different directions.

I screamed at the top of my lungs, but no sound came out. My Becky was in pain. I had to get to her. I smashed my fists against the barrier, over and over. Becky's beautiful body, suspended in the air, being pulled on more and more. She was screaming in pain but I heard nothing. I couldn't even hear myself scream as I cried out in anguish at the sight of my beloved Becky. I watched as the forces eased and her face relaxed. Thank God, she was no longer in pain. I dropped my chin to my chest as my head ached from my screaming. Opening my eyes, my Becky was gone; I was alone again, in a brilliant circle of light.

"Max..." I heard as the light went out. It wasn't Becky's voice it was Michelle's.

"Max, it's time to wake up." My eyes fluttered and I could see a dim light.

"Max, wake up, Max." It was Michelle's sweet voice telling me to wake up. I opened my eyes wide and there she was leaning over me, a smile on her pretty face.

"Max, stay with me."

"I will, sweetheart," I said, I was surprised that I could hear myself.

"Max." She was surprised.

"What? Oh, God, I'm thirsty." My throat hurt when I talked.

"Okay, just a second." Michelle disappeared from my sight but was back before I could say anything more. "Here, drink this." She placed a straw to my lips. I sucked and sweet, wet liquid flowed over my parched lips and across my tongue. As I swallowed, the cool liquid soothed my throat.

"Drink it all, Max." I did as ordered by my angel of mercy. As I swallowed over and over, the vision of Becky suspended in the air and in pain flashed through my brain.

"Where's Becky?" I croaked.

"She's busy today."

"She isn't in any trouble, is she?" I was worried about her. It had been a long time since my last nightmare, but I guess being put to sleep chemically may prohibit the mind from dreaming.

"No, she's just out doing a small job for Admiral David." The Academy Commandant, good, then my father wasn't involved.

* * * Michelle Santos-Tomas

I had just administered the wake-up drug to Max. It appeared he was having a rough time waking up. He was trying to walk in his bed; his legs moved then stopped. I turned on the light above the bed, pulling it down to shine on his face. His face was contorted as if he was in pain and his mouth moved as if he was trying to talk.

He eventually woke and I gave him a med-drink to soothe his parched throat. He asked where Becky was, I told him. He seemed pleased to see me and shocked me by calling me sweetheart just before he was fully awake. I checked him over, his vital signs were normal. I then checked the regen area. It was almost completely healed. In the next five days, the regen equipment would start to tone the muscles it had repaired.

"So, Max, how are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess, kind of tired being asleep all the time."

"Have you had any unusual dreams?"

"Why do you ask?" He was being evasive to my question.

"Have you had any unusual dreams? This will stay between us, Max, I promise." I reached up and pushed the button that would give us complete privacy, privacy that a doctor and patient were required by law to be able to have.

"I..." He seemed hesitant still.

"Max, I promise, no one will know what you tell me unless you want them too. Say like Becky." That got him.

"Yes. It was terrible, Chelle. God, it was terrible." He was on the verge of breaking down.

"Tell me about it, Max." I urged him. If he was having nightmares, he needed to talk about them so he could reconcile them with the real world.

"I'm sorry, dear, I can't. Not with you. No, I can't." He was closing down on me.

"Max, please tell me. I need to know so I can help you. I'm your doctor."

"You are also Echo Six, a member of my squad."

"Oh, so you can't tell a mate, a friend, about a strange dream you had? Do you think I would think you any less of a man if I knew?"

He stared at me for a long time. I could see in his eyes the thoughts as they flashed one after the other through his mind. I just looked at him as sternly as I knew how; hand on my hips, fire in my eyes.

"Fine, I'll tell you."

"Max, darling," I said, just to see his reaction. It was what I would expect he was shocked. "Tell me everything." I pulled up a chair, sitting on the edge and propping myself on my elbows looking down into his eyes. We were now physically close.

"It was dark, pitch dark. I was walking down a gravel path."

"How did you know it was gravel if it was dark?"

"I wasn't wearing shoes. Then there was a brilliant light, although I couldn't see where it was coming from. There was grass along the side of the gravel path, I moved to it to give my feet a break. Then another light came on to show me, Becky. She was standing there, naked, arms stretched out to her side. Then she started to rise and her face became a mask of pain and agony. Some invisible force was pulling her limbs in four different directions.

"She seemed to be crying out in pain, yet I couldn't hear her. I screamed, and I still heard nothing. I tried going to her, but I was now a prisoner in the circle of light. I screamed again, beating my fists against the invisible wall surrounding me. Then Becky was lowered to the ground, her pain subsiding. Then I woke up and saw your beautiful smile."

I was speechless. I didn't know what to say. How could I help my friend, my commander? His dream was not really that unusual for men in his position. Many men dream about loved ones being hurt and not being able to do anything about it, but Max was not your usual or typical man.

"Max, what you dreamt is not all that unusual."

"It just scares me that Becky might get hurt. Actually, it scares me that any of you might get hurt. I don't want any of you to get hurt."

"But, you know that's the occupation we chose. There's always that chance that we will get hurt. You know that don't you? We signed up to defend the Federation with our lives, if necessary."

"I know that, but you ask any commander who has to make a decision to put men in the line of fire, how they feel about it. They'll tell you that it hurts deep down inside if just one of their men is injured."

"I know, Max, I know. It's the same for a doctor."

"Chelle, can we leave this for when I'm feeling a little bit better?"

"Sure, hun."

"Put me back to sleep if you're done with me. I'm feeling a little tired."

"Okay, Max." I leaned down and pressed my lips to his. He hesitated, then kissed me back hard. His hand came up to hold my head and press my lips to his. I kissed him back with all the passion I felt for him, then pulled away, looking into his eyes. "That will never happen again."

"It can't," he whispered in reply. I picked up an auto-injector and placed it against his arm.

"Goodnight, Max."

"Goodnight, Chelle." I squeezed the trigger and watched as the drug took effect.

"I love you, Max," I whispered as he dropped into sleep. I did love him, but I loved Becky too and I would never try to come between them.

* * * Becky Latham

I was supposed to be sitting beside Max, talking to him and consoling him. Instead, I was sitting in a grav-lev transport making the rounds of Stellar Army Camp Number One on Pacifica. We had done the Naval Base and the Colonial Marine Base, now it was time for the Army. We only had five more to go on our first list. The cadets had been taken into custody first. The trips to the Naval and Marine bases had gone off without a hitch, although we did have trouble with this one Marine Colonel until we showed his commanding General our warrant.

We were now on our way to arrest the gang's top man in the Federation, a General in the Stellar Army. General Wilmore Stackhouse, commander of the four-oh-fifth infantry brigade, which just happened to be on Pacifica at this time. As we approached the four-oh-fifth's camp, we were stopped at the entrance. We weren't in battle armor, just flak vests over our camo's. We were armed with slugthrowers and particle beam projectors. As the vehicle stopped, I signaled dismount for all of us. The two guards at the gate were surprised, to say the least.

"Soldier, why are you stopping an Army vehicle?" I had run up to one of the guards and was now shouting in his face.

"Ma'am, we have orders to stop all vehicles, no matter what." He had snapped to attention when he saw my rank insignia. I just happen to be wearing Colonel's Eagles for this operation.

"You will open that gate and allow my men to enter this compound. Is that clear, soldier?"

"No, ma'am, my orders come directly from General Stackhouse."

"You are relieved, soldier."

"By whose authority, ma'am?"

"Admiral David, Chief of Federation Operations, Pacifica."

"Yes, ma'am." I had trumped his one star with a five star. He stood aside, as did his partner, while I had Sam open the gate to the compound. The rest of us piled back in the grav-lev, but before I mounted up, I disabled the com-system at the gatehouse, waved at the two troopers. We pulled up in front of the four-oh-fifth's headquarters building and exited the vehicle in an orderly fashion.

"Sam, Simon, you're with me. The rest of you, on your toes, coms open." I turned and started to climb the steps to the front door, when five troopers, ranging in rank from private to captain, burst through the door.

"Halt!" the captain yelled. They were all armed, slug throwers only.

"Stand down, Captain," I yelled.

"Halt or we will open fire," the captain yelled back.

"Captain, front and center, now..."

"Who are you to give me orders?"

"Colonel Latham, first of the sixty-fourth."

"You're not in my chain of command, Colonel. And I don't recall a Colonel Latham in the sixty-fourth."

"Then, how about Admiral David, Chief of Federation Operations, Pacifica, you have heard of him, haven't you?"

"Yes." He seemed hesitant now.

"Well, I'm here under his orders with arrest warrants signed by the Federation Council. Would you like to see them?"

"Yes, bring them up."

"No, Captain. You come to me." He mulled it over for a while, then whispered something to the sergeant next to him, before starting down the steps. As he approached us, I took the General's warrant from my pocket.

"Here you go, Captain," I said, handing him the document. He read the warrant, then looked at me, then back down at the document.

"Sam."

Sam disarmed him and had him in handcuffs in an instant. The sergeant and his men immediately brought their weapons to bear on us. I held up my hand to forestall my squad doing the same. We stood like this for a few seconds, then minutes. I didn't want this to become a firefight. I didn't want troopers killing troopers. As I furiously tried to think of something to say to disarm the situation, I heard a familiar sound in the distance. Walkers. Within seconds, there were four Mark X walkers standing behind us. The walkers and the men in armor strapped into them were all pitch black.

"Stand down, stand down, by order of the Federation Council you are hereby ordered to turn over General Stackhouse to Colonel Latham." A voice I recognized boomed over a loudspeaker system on the walker. A bolt of plasma shot from one of the walkers to turn part of the staircase to slag. The three men on the steps turned and went inside. Within minutes, they were back with the General. He was kicking and screaming as they dragged him down the stairs, and deposited him in front of me.

"General Stackhouse, you are under arrest by order of the Federation Council. Simon." Simon had him standing with the cuffs on before the General could answer me. "Put him in the grav-lev. The Captain too, his name is on the list, also." We had lucked out on that.

The lead walker was squatting down to dismount level. I watched as the trooper dismounted and came toward us. When he removed his helmet, I recognized Captain Brooks.

"Well, look at you. A full bird Colonel," he said with a laugh. He probably knew my new rank, CWO, before I did.

"Hi, Phinn, good to see you," I said.

"Admiral Jones thought you might need a little back up with this one. We will be on standby to assist you if needed. Just give us a shout on your primary frequency, and we'll be there within seconds."

"One reason we didn't use our walkers was it's not easy to maneuver on Pacifica."

"We're used to it. It's not the first time we've performed training exercises here."

"Is that what this is? Okay, if we need you, we'll give you a shout. Thanks, Phinn." I took his offered hand. He turned, walking away and was back in his walker, powered up and gone in next to no time.

"Okay, everyone, mount up." It was back to base to drop these two off and then out again. We had three more to pick up today. Tomorrow we would be working from Admiral Jones' list. I sure missed Max.

9.24.0093/7

* * * Simon Eckles

There was a tube in my mail slot when I woke. It was from Admiral Jones; the list of gang members that we were to pick up and the warrants that went with them. Why was he sending them to me? There was a note from him with paperwork.

Simon,

You are probably wondering why I am sending these to you. You were once DC and my best field agent. Keep them safe, and only share them with Chief Latham. Your lives may depend on that.

M. Jones

This was exactly the part of the job I hated, the intrigue and backroom deals, the shady goings-on in high places. And for what? Well, I knew for what and I believed that the Federation should be protected and kept in place, as man spread throughout the universe. Shit! I stuffed the warrants and the list in my duff. I showered and dressed, then headed for the mess hall.

Becky was sitting with Jolene as I joined them. I took a sip of my coffee. They were both staring at me.

"What? Is there something on my chin?" I smiled at both of them. They giggled.

"No, just wondering what we owe for the pleasure of your company," Becky said laughing.

I pulled the list and the warrants from my duff and laid them on the table. Both quickly became quiet and somber. Becky looked from the warrants to me with a questioning look. I pulled the note from my pocket and handed it to her. She read it.

"He's not very big on words, is he?"

"Not really." Becky handed the note to Jo, who read it also.

"No, shit. I kind of figured we were in for a hot one today," Jo said.

"Will Captain Brook be backing us up today?" Becky asked.

"I don't know. We could give him a call before we leave, and ask," I said.

"We should be able to handle these people. There doesn't seem to be anyone higher in rank than the one I'll be wearing," Becky said, looking at the list.

"Take a look at the last name," I told her.