But Branco knew better. The shame would be killing her.
He wished he could put an arm around her, impart a little of his solidity and strength, because she looked so diminished.
“I’m with you, Sun,” he mouthed, but he’d never dare say that out loud.
* * * * *
Chapter 28
You’ve suffered far worse, Sun kept telling herself.
Maybe that was true, and maybe it wasn’t, but she was damn sure she’d never experienced such calculated humiliation.
Her eyes fixed on the two CASPers guarding the exit from Arashi Nova, arm-mounted machine guns with hollow point load aimed at her. Her only way off the ship was through those MK 8s. The crowd of Scorpions, armed but mostly outside of their CASPers, were a distraction she refused to look at. But she couldn’t shut out their jeers and catcalls, which only escalated as she began to shiver in the frigid cold.
She sucked it up.
Sun had no choice. If she let her people see the humiliation get to her, they’d fight back. It was just as well that none of the Scorpions had died at the hands of her Midnighters, but several had taken serious wounds, and all of them had taken hits to their pride.
It wouldn’t take much of a spark to set those CASPer guns tearing chunks out of her helpless people.
Branco was the most likely to flip.
Little sis’ had started telling her that Branco was becoming a problem that required removal. She might be right.
“You look cold, hen,” said that wretch Sinclair as he scooted past using the handrails. “Should have thought to bring your coat.”
He took up station by the two CASPers and got the formal humiliation underway.
“After I passed my voluntary off-world assessments,” he said into a camera drone, “my father made me study for an academic degree while I learned the practicalities of the mercenary trade. He said I needed to develop a broader horizon than the world of coil guns, haptic suits, and dropships. So I took classical military history at Edinburgh University. Turned out the old man was right. I learned about spears and swords, but also the use of heavy shock troops, indirect fire, and about the spirit that lodges in the hearts of soldiers who harbor the habit of victory. And…”
He looked away from the camera to stare directly at Sun. “And how to break that spirit. Here’s a method I learned, vintage 321BC. Personnel of the Midnight Sun Free Company, you are free to leave my ship, but only if you walk through the CASPer yoke.”
The two CASPers facing the line of their beaten rivals touched hands to form an arch. Then they lowered their arms to make an ‘M’ shape that reached nearly to the deck.
“No floating, and no crawling,” said Sinclair. “You walk through or there will be consequences.”
Now it made sense. The gap between the CASPer arms was so low that anyone of human dimensions passing through would be forced to bend over, to bow, right in front of Sinclair.
“Shall we begin?” he asked.
She glared back, teeth clamped together to stop them chattering.
“Or would you prefer to be held prisoner?” Sinclair asked. “Perhaps for ransom, or to be dropped out an airlock in deep space, along with other toxic junk?”
“We’ll do it,” she said.
“Oh, and Major – I noticed three elSha creep out of the ship’s ratholes. I do hope that’s all of them. Maybe I forgot to mention, but as soon as I’ve ejected you eejits, we’re running a fumigation and cleansing of all garbage recycling and ventilation ducts. Full sterilization. If there are any wee nasties still lurking in the bowels of my ship, they won’t survive.”
“Good idea,” said Sun. “I didn’t like to say before, but there’s a nasty smell about this ship. You should get it properly cleaned.”
Jamie scowled. “Just get your ugly faces off my ship.”
Machine guns tracked her as she moved toward the yoke. It was tricky walking, because the spin imparted by the Exuberance meant pseudo-gravity pulled at her back. The force was weak, but her body craved gravity to make sense of the universe and insisted that she was approaching the yoke by walking up a wall.
She took a deep breath, bent double, and squeezed beneath the center of the yoke.
Wolf whistles and catcalls assailed her.
She hurled a silent curse at Sinclair, but when she glanced his way she was surprised to see he wasn’t leering back. The young merc leader was watching his own people. If anything, he looked worried.
Suddenly the charade made more sense. The young Sinclair had to prove himself after losing control of his ship and being tactically outmaneuvered and out-thought in the battle through the hold.
Jamie had to prove himself in the eyes of his company, but he didn’t wish to push too hard, or he’d provoke a bloodbath that would haunt him.
“Hey, Sinclair,” she said, still bent over double. “Next time you need someone to protect you from the big bad Condottieri, you just give me a call. No hard feelings, eh?”
He gave a laugh, laced with relief. “Get out of here, you madwoman.”
Sun passed through the CASPer yoke and out the airlock.
She turned and watched the others of Command Section follow, each one met by cheers.
Gold Squad came through next, saluting her as they marched in good order out into the Exuberance where, if all went to plan, they’d be met with clothing and escorted back to their own ship.
Corporal Hoang from Ultra-V Squad squeezed past the returning task force as they marched along the Exuberance passageway and brought Sun a cloak and a fresh uniform from Midnight Sun. She refused it. “I’m responsible for this screwup,” Sun told her. “I don’t deserve my dignity back until all my people are through and have their dignity returned to them first.”
She almost regretted her stance when she felt reptilian claws dig into the bare skin of her arms and grip onto a perching point near her neck. Two more of the little elSha took up positions by her feet.
“Thank you, Senior Rating Shalzak,” she whispered.
She was met with angry hissing from the elSha infiltration lead.
Sun beckoned Hoang over and took a translator pendant.
“As you can see,” said Shalzak, “we received the order to give ourselves up.” The translator made sense of his words, but the alien spacer still sounded seriously pissed. “Jenkins will get all the credit, but we did the hard work. He spent half his time putting his boots on and the other half taking them off.”
Sun smiled, recognizing elSha humor. “You shall have my commendation to Captain Blue,” she told Shalzak. “I acknowledge your team’s service. Now tell me, how close is Jenkins to finishing the mission?”
Shalzak scurried over to the other shoulder. “Two days. Maybe three without us? He’ll manage it, though, if he’s not discovered. As I said, my team has already completed the hardest parts.”
“Major,” called a voice from her feet. “May I ask the status of Senior Rating Hyuuo?”
“He’s fully recovered, Rating Onyi.” She tilted her head to the elSha on her shoulder. “But he’s extremely upset not to share in your glory.”
Shalzak was so delighted by her words that he glowed red and warm.
By now the last of Lightning Squad had passed by, and the Scorpions were fast losing interest; no doubt their thoughts were turning to the celebrations that would follow.
The aliens of Vengeance came through next.
The Zuul were short enough they barely nodded their heads. Tatterjee was even shorter, making a point of walking through on tiptoes. He’d even saved a little intestinal gas to release on the CASPer yoke as he passed through.
Then it was Betty’s turn.
Tortantulas were huge, but they could squeeze through a surprisingly narrow gap. Nonetheless, the two CASPers in the yoke raised their hands high to give the alien more space.
After all, who in their right minds would deliberately antagonize a Tortantula?
Betty came to a determined halt ten feet f
rom the yoke.
“I am not going through,” she stated. And in case anyone doubted her, she bared her fangs and dripped neurotoxin venom down to their tips.
The corridor hummed with charge packs working hard, and machine guns readying as every Scorpion prepared to fire.
* * * * *
Chapter 29
“It’s okay,” called Sun, walking back into the Nova. “Everyone calm down.”
“Don’t make me do it,” said Betty. “I won’t.” She hissed like a high-pressure boiler at critical.
“Stand down, Scorpions,” Sun shouted as she slid beneath the two CASPers who had guns on Betty and sword blades out. “Do you really want a bloodbath?”
Only Shock Squad remained in the line behind Betty, and they turned aggressively against the guns of their captors. One shot was all it would take to unleash a very brief hell.
Holding her arms wide, Sun walked up to Betty, keeping her body between the Scorpion CASPers and her alien trooper.
The Tortantula lowered her head to Sun’s level. “I don’t want to go through the little gap.”
“It’s just a game,” Sun answered, trying to make her voice sound soothing, though that wasn’t easy in front of a giant monster wound up and ready to go. “The Scorpion captain wants us to play this game so his mercs will like him again. Besides, I know you can squeeze through that gap.”
“Yes, but not with all these humans watching. Too embarrassing.”
“Step away,” Sinclair told Sun. “This Tortantula goes through the yoke, or we kill it. Your choice. Don’t know what possessed you to hire this monster anyway.”
“You pathetic moron, Sinclair!” She tightened her fists and wondered just how good it would feel to punch him right between those baby-blue eyes. “Betty is not a monster. She has a name.”
“Back away!” said one of the CASPer troopers, stepping forward and placing his two-foot sword blade between Sun and Sinclair.
“Oh, you’re so the big man, aren’t you?” Sun snapped at him, her fists unclenched and hands on hips. “Hey, ma, you’ll be so proud of what I did on my big boy’s space adventure. I wore a half-ton metal suit loaded with weapons and bravely stood up to this wee lassie in just her knickers.”
Laughter rippled along the corridor, and not just from Shock Squad. Even Sinclair gave an amused snort.
“Okay,” he said. “You made your point.” He looked up at the Tortantula. “See here, Betty. Your boss is right. This is a silly human game, but even games can have rules and consequences. Either you go through the gap or we shoot you dead.”
“Fight,” said Betty, sounding much happier. “Yes, I like that better than squeeze.”
The corridor thumped as a squad of CASPers headed their way from the Nova’s interior.
Sun stretched upon tiptoe and stroked the relatively soft hide where Betty’s head joined to her enormous abdomen. “If you wait until another day, I have plenty of other contracts lined up with lots of fighting and explosions. Best of all, those fights would be with Tatterjee.”
“Tatterjee. Fighting is better with a partner.”
“Good. Tell you what, I’ve a better idea than fighting or squeezing. How would you like a surprise vacation? The idiot Scorpion man will keep you safe, give you lots to eat and plenty to occupy you.”
Sinclair gestured to the newly arrived squad of six CASPers to escort the prisoner to her confinement.
She went willingly. In fact, the desire to fight had been replaced with the other impulse that usually drove her. “Will there be food when I get there?”
“I expect so,” said Sun, who walked with Betty. “The Scorpion man will have me to answer to if not.”
“I’ll treat the prisoner fairly,” Sinclair told her, “and you can have her back with an invoice for food costs when we reach our rendezvous. Until then, if there’s any interference with my ship or my people, Big Betty won’t be coming back. Understand?”
“Completely.”
One of the escort CASPers turned and barred Sun’s way. She’d passed beyond the end of the Midnighter line. There was no going farther.
“I won’t abandon you,” Sun called out to Betty. “I promise on my sister’s life, I’ll come back for you.”
The CASPer shoved her roughly, sending her flying back up the corridor to thump headfirst against the bulkhead.
“I’m all right,” Sun barked at her remaining people. “Stay in line!”
When the worst of the fuzziness left her head, she picked herself up and took her place at the back of the line, behind Branco.
He gave no sign of noticing her. His fists were white-knuckled, and the veins stood out like cables on his forearms. He was shaking, and she didn’t think it was with cold.
“You got a problem, Trooper?” she snapped.
“Don’t like to see you manhandled, ma’am.”
No kidding. Branco looked about to explode. And…what the hell. She’d just soothed a Tortantula – guess she could do the same with a human.
“Come here,” she said softly.
He looked back in surprise at her change in tenor. His eyes widened further when she lifted one arm to invite him to embrace her.
He hesitated, but he tentatively stooped down to hold her.
“It’s okay,” she whispered into his ear. “This didn’t pan out the way I’d hoped, but we’ve already beaten the Scorpions. The plan just hasn’t played out yet. I promise. Keep calm, and we’ll get our revenge soon enough.”
Their captors broke up their embrace with kicks and slaps, but it had been worth it, because she could see the knots of muscles easing along his back.
She realized to her surprise that she also felt her own tension drain away.
By the time she passed beneath the CASPer yoke the second time, she almost believed the words she’d told him. The Midnight Sun Free Company had never failed to fulfil a contract, and they weren’t about to start now. This wasn’t over by a long stretch.
* * * * *
Chapter 30
“Hey, are you all right in there?” asked Sergeant Vogel in mock panic.
“Weirdo!” accused McLeod from inside the restroom stall.
“The sergeant’s just enquiring as to your status, because he’s concerned for your well-being,” countered Obdura from the washbasin. Giggles overcame him for a moment, but he rallied and added for the benefit of the occupant in the other stall, “You too, Jones. What’s your wipe state?”
“Your head’s full o’ mince,” growled Jones. “Can’t a man have a little privacy? You’re worse than…” He gave up and groaned as if in real pain.
Vogel shook his head. They were only three frames away from the Nova but, no, Mac and Jonesy couldn’t hold it in that far. Mind you, this was the first time they’d been allowed out on liberty since that fight in the hold last week. Nasty business, but keeping that spider monster locked up in the hold had done the trick of keeping the Midnighters out of mischief. It was hardly surprising that this Exuberance pub crawl had been exuberant, all right.
“I’m serious,” said Vogel, deciding he might as well have his fun. “Out beyond the comfort of Earth’s embrace, space toilets can be deadly places. There’s one poor fella I know of. JR Handley was his name. He was with Asbaran Solutions on a contract that went deep south, their team decimated, but JR survived against all the odds. He always did. If there was a lone survivor, you’d put money on it being JR. Until a few months after that Asbaran mission. JR came to a messy end, crushed to death by a space-john. What an exit!”
Silence met his yarn from behind the toilet stall doors.
“Ah, come on, lads. I’m just joking with you. Seriously, hurry your business and let’s be back to the Nova…Lads?”
Something tapped against the back of McLeod’s door.
“McLeod, Jones. Call out!”
Vogel and Obdura looked at each other. Silent communication passed between them, and they concluded that – yes – this really was bad.
Vogel reached for the knife hidden in his boot; Obdura clenched his fist adorned with heavy rings.
McLeod’s door began to open, and Vogel’s heart flooded with relief.
“For heaven’s sake, Mac. You had me worried there…”
McLeod was sitting on the toilet, pants ’round his ankles, but he was slumped and groaning softly. Perched on his head was a foot-high ball of fur and fury, pointing a hypervelocity pistol at Vogel’s head.
“Should’ve learned from JR’s story,” said the Flatar. “In space, toilets are deadly.”
* * * * *
Chapter 31
The prisoner exchange took place on the Exuberance at the halfway point between Midnight Sun and Arashi Nova.
As escort for her and the four Scorpions they’d captured, Sun took a half squad of humans and one Flatar.
“Remember,” Tatterjee told her, “don’t tell the big girl that I got her free. Don’t want her getting stupid ideas, like that I missed her or something.”
“I understand,” said Sun with a smile. “On no account will I mention that you’ve spent every day badgering me to get her back.”
“Yes, well, I had to ask one more time. You humans are notoriously unreliable.”
“Go on then,” Sun said to her four Scorpion prisoners.
They walked forward to meet the party led by Sinclair, squeezing hard against the bulkheads as Betty walked in the other direction.
“Hey, Sinclair,” shouted Sun. “You do realize the Condottieri are the more dangerous foe, right?”
“They killed my people,” said Sinclair. “What’s your point?”
“The more we run scared of each other, the less attention we have remaining for them. What do you say to no more snatches? We order Scorpions and Midnighters to keep a good distance from each other at all times. We’ll be away soon. Off on another contract. Let’s avoid unnecessary complications until then.”
The Midnight Sun (The Omega War Book 2) Page 11