Abyss Of Savagery

by Toby Neighbors

  “You wanted to see me?” Grant said, leaving off the sir or Major that etiquette required from a person of lower rank when addressing a superior.

  Dean didn’t rise to the bait or even stand up. He glanced up at the armored captain, then turned his attention to the vid screen where he had pulled up the vid feed from the MSV following the Pergantees. The aliens were still in the pipe but had stopped moving. Dean didn’t know if they were up to something or just exhausted. They had no way of knowing if going days without food had weakened the Pergantees, or if they were just physically unfit to begin with.

  “It’s been a hell of day, Captain,” Dean said. “I’ve had more drama than I care for, so lets get the nasty business of your attitude out of the way, shall we? You don’t like me—I get it. You think you should have been put in charge of the mission. Again, I understand that. But Colonel Davis made the call: not you, not me. The head of Force Recon decided that I was the right man for the job, and frankly, I think he made the right call.”

  “We’ll have to agree to disagree,” Grant said.

  Dean smiled. “If that’s what you want. Although, to be honest, I’d feel better if you simply relieved yourself. I don’t want officers questioning my every order, or in your case, working against me. I know you hope to see me fail, but that’s not an option for me.”

  “Is that all?” Grant said, as if he were too busy to be bothered with such trivial matters.

  “No, Captain Grant, that is not all. Why is Captain Parker being held in the detention cell along with Sergeant Tallgrass? Why did you order your HA Specialists to not allow anyone, myself included, into or out of that cell?”

  “There are so many reasons why you’re not ready to lead, but probably the biggest is the fact that you would even have to ask that question,” Grant said.

  Dean had to fight the urge to leap to his feet and drive his shoulder straight into the arrogant captain’s solar plexus.

  “Don’t push me, Captain. You won’t like the result.”

  “Another threat,” Grant said, shaking his armored head as if he were taking the high ground. “Why am I not surprised?”

  “This is ridiculous,” Dean said. “Order your HA Specialists to stand down, or I’ll relieve you of command, Captain Grant.”

  “No sir, I won’t stand down. Your leadership is compromised. Your own platoon is at the heart of this matter, and you are in no position to judge them. Hell, we can’t even be certain you’re not being controlled by the Pergantees the way your Demolitions Sergeant appeared to be.”

  Suddenly Dean realized what Grant was up to. He didn’t need Dean to lash out or lose his cool. He had a built-in argument for why Dean had been compromised, and it was a good one. As much as it pained him to even think about anyone else judging Sergeant Tallgrass, he would have to step back.

  “You think I want to deal with Sergeant Tallgrass?” Dean said, faking a smile. “That’s where you’re wrong, Captain. I’ll be convening a disciplinary commission of senior officers to judge Tallgrass. Neither you nor I will need to be involved. What I am concerned with is the effect the Pergantees had on Sergeant Tallgrass and if they still have control of her. To that end, we need to question her. Now, have your specialists stand down. I want Captain Parker tested in the med bay as soon as possible. I’ll also need to review the vid footage from her battle armor.”

  “I think you should step aside and let me take the lead on this,” Grant said, a few lines forming between his eyebrows as he tried to discern what Dean was up to.

  “No, Captain, your orders are clear. Police the ring. There’s no need for your platoon to go on a witch hunt throughout the entire ship.”

  “You’ve lost the Pergantees,” Grant said incredulously. “You want me to stand down—are you insane?”

  “I haven’t lost anyone,” Dean said calmly, swiveling his console screen around so that Grant could see it. “We’ve had eyes on the fugitives since I called for your men to stand watch at the air intake grate. But there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered, so I’ll tell you one last time. Have your HA Specialists guarding the detention cell stand down so that Captain Parker can be evaluated and Sergeant Tallgrass questioned. That’s an order.”

  It was the point of no return. Grant was trying to decide if Dean would actually relieve him of command if he refused to follow the order. Grant might win an appeal, but there would be no formal hearing while they were on the mission—and if Grant were relieved, he would have no chance of taking Dean’s place. On the other hand, by following Dean’s order he was conceding a minor victory, and Dean knew it would drive the arrogant captain crazy.

  “Fine, but I want to be present for all questioning of the prisoner,” Grant said.

  Dean didn’t like one of his own being called a prisoner, but he knew he couldn’t push his luck. If he said or did anything that could be shown as favoritism, it would be used against him. Dean could show no weakness around Captain Grant; that much was certain.

  “Of course. Let’s get to work,” Dean said. “Please go and have Captain Parker sent to the med bay. I’ll issue her orders myself. I’ll be along shortly. I don’t want anyone talking to Sergeant Tallgrass without my explicit authorization. Is that clear, Captain Grant?”

  “Yes, it is,” he said.

  “Yes, it is, sir,” Dean replied, giving Captain Grant a look of disapproval.

  “Yes, it is, sir,” Grant replied through clenched teeth.

  “Thank you, Captain, that will be all.”

  Dean turned his attention back to his the console. He could feel the anger from Captain Grant, and a small alarm in the back of his mind went off. He knew taking his eyes off the enraged captain was dangerous, and under different circumstances he wouldn’t take such a risk. But Dean needed to send the message that he was supremely confident in his position and his command of the mission, and not concerned about the arrogant captain.

  A moment later, Dean heard Grant’s boots clicking on the deck plates as he walked away. Dean breathed a small sigh of relief, then sent a quick memo to the three admirals commanding the Kroll vessels. He did his best to sound humble as he asked them to convene a disciplinary council. Under different circumstances, Dean realized he would have no say whatsoever about the fate of his Demolition Sergeant, but it still bothered him to see the fate of one of his own decided outside the platoon. Yet Dean knew that if he didn’t suggest the disciplinary hearing, it would be held up as a sign that he was unfit to lead. Captain Grant wasn’t going to give up his efforts to bring Dean down, despite the fact that Dean had more experience with the Kroll than any other officer in the service. Dean would have to watch his step and make sure that nothing he did gave Grant more ammunition. They needed to be united in their mission, not fighting amongst themselves. It was likely the last mission any of them would carry out, and part of Dean thought it was ridiculous to fight over rank—but he didn’t want to step aside, either. Colonel Davis had entrusted him with leadership of the mission, and Dean was determined to see it carried out successfully—even if it was the last thing he ever did.

  Chapter 24

  When Dean returned to the holding cell where Tallgrass was waiting, he was pleased to see Grant standing outside. Dean didn’t want the arrogant captain in with him while he questioned his Demolition Sergeant, but he would have called for Grant even if he hadn’t been waiting. His battle armor would record the session—which should have been enough for anyone to see that Dean wasn’t showing favoritism—but Dean didn’t want to give Captain Grant an excuse to accuse him of anything.

  Parker had already been sent to the med bay when Dean arrived at the detention cell. He would have to debrief her later, and he needed to make time as a friend to see if he could do anything to ease the pain she was obviously feeling. He didn’t want to make any judgments about the woman who had been his first instructor and had grown into a good friend, but he couldn’t help but wonder if her relationship with Colonel Davis had been mor
e than that of associates. Liaisons between service members were common enough, and as long as it didn’t interfere with their duties, the brass turned a blind eye. And Parker had taken the news of Colonel Davis’s assassination extremely hard.

  “I don’t want you to speak openly,” Dean told Captain Grant as soon as he moved toward the door of the detention cell. “If you need to say something, do it on a private channel. You are here to observe only.”

  “That’s not how I see it,” Grant said.

  “I don’t give a damn how you see it, Captain,” Dean said loudly. “Either show some respect, or get out of my sight—just don’t question my orders.”

  Grant nodded but didn’t speak.

  They walked into the holding cell where Tallgrass was waiting. Dean had seen his Demolition Sergeant during difficult times. Hardship and exhaustion were common among Recon Specialists, but depression and shame were not. She sat slumped in the far corner of the large, rectangular room. The only two ways in or out were the door that had been cut into the glass wall and the round hatch at the center of the room. The hatch had been sealed with spot welds, perhaps by Eleanor Tallgrass herself while Dean was with the senior officers on Space Base 13.

  “Sergeant,” Dean said as he strode across the room.

  Tallgrass wiped the tears from her eyes and stood to attention. Dean could see that her eyes were swollen, and her face seemed pale. She saluted, but Dean didn’t return the gesture.

  “At ease, Sergeant,” Dean said.

  “Sir, may I ask about Staff Sergeant Chavez?”

  “No, Tallgrass, you may not,” Dean replied. He wouldn’t have denied her an update on Chavez, but he had heard nothing about the big staff sergeant.

  She ducked her head, tears springing from her eyes, and her shoulders shook with quiet sobs.

  “You want to tell me what happened?” Dean asked.

  “I don’t know,” Tallgrass said. “I remember what I did, but it was like a dream.”

  She had to stop for a moment and regain her composure.

  “I wasn’t in control,” she continued. “I know that sounds like a lame excuse, but something must have happened when I went to interrogate the Pergantee. I felt a warmness come over me, and then I felt light—almost weightless. At first, nothing happened out of the ordinary. I heard myself making an argument for the Pergantee, but it all seemed so logical. And even though it felt like I was watching myself from outside my body, I didn’t care. And then, when I went to free the Pergantee, I knew something was wrong—but I couldn’t regain control. I can’t believe what I did, sir,” she was crying harder than ever. “I would never hurt Joaquin. I would never hurt him.”

  “She’s putting on a show,” Grant commented, but Dean ignored him.

  “When did you regain control?” Dean asked. “Or are you still under their power?”

  “No, I’m in control now, sir,” Tallgrass said. “It was after you disarmed me and had me pinned to the ground.”

  “When I hit you?”

  “No, sir,” Tallgrass instinctively touched her jaw, which was swollen and red. “After that. It was like someone flipped a switch and everything went back to normal.”

  Dean guessed it was the Pergantee that Ghost had shot that had controlled Tallgrass, but the question remained if the others could do the same. No one knew what the Pergantees were capable of. It made sense that perhaps some had stronger ESP abilities than others, but Dean had no way of knowing. And if the two surviving Pergantees didn’t have strong ESP, was it possible that they had other abilities that no one even knew about?

  “When you were under their control, did you have access to their thoughts?” Dean asked.

  “No,” Tallgrass said. “I felt some things, like ideas that floated through my head, but I didn’t have access. I don’t remember them thinking of anything solid until they made their escape. They’re desperate to get off the ship. I don’t know if it exists or if it’s something they were wanting, but I got flashes of what looked like a cockpit.”

  “Anything else?” Dean asked.

  Tallgrass shook her head and wiped the tears from her cheeks again.

  “Among my people,” she said softly, “someone who turns against another member of the tribe would be cast out—banished and forgotten. I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to dishonor you, or the Wolfpack. I failed you all. Please tell everyone I’m sorry.”

  “Tallgrass, we’re going to get to the bottom of this,” Dean said. “We can’t take back what happened, but don’t make things worse by doing something foolish. No one in the platoon has given up on you. We stand with you, no matter the outcome. Be patient, remain hopeful, and don’t hesitate to inform me or Captain Parker if you think of anything else that might help us catch the Pergantees. I’ve ordered a disciplinary hearing. Whatever they decide, we will abide by, but don’t do something rash. You hear me? That’s an order, Sergeant.”

  “Yes sir, I understand.”

  Dean wanted to say more. He wanted to say that if the Pergantees had taken control of her, then she wasn’t guilty of anything. But he knew his words would be reviewed by the admirals. He couldn’t show favoritism or even compassion—not yet.

  “Until the disciplinary hearing, you are confined to this holding cell,” Dean continued. “If you think of anything else I need to know in order to track down the Pergantees, tell the guards outside your door, but all other communication is restricted. Until the hearing there will be no visitation rights, but you shouldn’t have to wait very long. Please understand that if you try to escape, the guards outside have been authorized to use force to stop you, including deadly force if necessary.”

  Tallgrass nodded.

  “Hold yourself together, Tallgrass,” Dean said, before turning and walking from the room.

  “What a load of bullshit,” Grant said. “She knew exactly what she was doing.”

  “That’s not the impression I got,” Dean replied.

  “Of course you didn’t. She can play you like a violin, that much is obvious.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dean said.

  “The hell I don’t. I’ve seen your kind before. You think your platoon is a family, and you want to be everyone’s friend. That’s not how leadership works. Officers don’t fraternize with enlisted specialists.”

  “Grant,” Dean said, suddenly turning to face the arrogant Captain, “you’re full of shit.”

  “Great logic, Major. That must be how you’ve risen through the ranks so quickly. I’m so glad to have you at the helm of this mission. My god, it’s going to be a disaster.”

  Dean wanted to say more—he wanted to do more—but he knew that anything he did at that moment would be called into account during Tallgrass’s disciplinary hearing, and Dean refused to do anything that would blemish her innocence. Instead, Dean walked away. He still had work to do. He wanted to check on Chavez, spend some time with Captain Parker, and hold Esma in his arms until the pain and worry melted away. But first, he had to find the missing Pergantees. Nothing good could happen until the fugitives were found and the threat they posed was neutralized.

  Dean crossed the barrier into the Hannibal. The concourse of the small escort ship had an air of merriment that Dean found encouraging. Chief Steward Franklin had recruited two other cooks and was keeping food prepared around the clock in the small mess hall. Between the food, familiar surroundings, and the opportunity to take a shower, the Hannibal had become the hottest destination on the huge harvester ship.

  Winding his way through the crowds of people loitering in the concourse, Dean made his way to the med bay. He was met at the door by Sergeant Emily Harper, who had been hurrying out.

  “Major, I was just coming to find you,” she said. “I have an update on Staff Sergeant Chavez.”

  “Go ahead,” Dean told her.

  “He’s out of surgery and stable. The next few hours are important, but if he makes it that long, he should make a full recovery.”

/>   “That’s great news,” Dean said, feeling a little of the pressure ease up from his shoulders.

  “I know. I was hoping you might give me permission to tell Eleanor,” Harper said.

  “I can’t do that,” Dean replied, before pulling Harper out of the walkway. They were talking on the platoon channel, but Dean didn’t trust that Captain Grant wouldn’t find a way to monitor their communications, so he opened a private link between himself and Harper. “Look, Captain Grant is planning to use what Tallgrass did to take us all down.”

  “What do you mean?” Harper asked.

  “I mean he doesn’t like that I was promoted over him,” Dean explained. “He’s looking for a reason to say I’m not fit to lead, and he’s going to use the incident with the Pergantees to prove his point.”

  “But none of that was your fault, sir.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Dean went on. “He’ll say it’s proof that I don’t know what I’m doing. And he won’t care if he destroys Eleanor in the process. We can’t do anything that might be construed as favoritism or bad judgment. I can’t let you or anyone else from our platoon go and talk with Eleanor. It’s too dangerous.”

  “That isn’t right, sir,” Harper said. “Eleanor has gone through enough.”

  “I agree, but we’re going to have to stand back and let her defend herself this time.”

  “That’s not who we are. Our platoon sticks together.”

  “I know that, and we’ll stand with Tallgrass no matter what. But we can’t interfere with the disciplinary committee.”

  “You mean we won’t get to speak with Eleanor until we’re back home?”

  “No, I’ve asked the admirals to hold a hearing. I believe Tallgrass was acting under the influence of the Pergantees. Hopefully they’ll see that too, but until they’ve met and had a chance to decide what’s best for the mission, none of us can visit with Eleanor.”