by J. L. Curtis
He mumbled, “Stim.” He felt a prick in his thigh, a burning sensation, and he drew a deep breath, knowing what was coming. It suddenly felt like the top of his head was coming off, his eyes teared up, and he groaned as the stim hit his system, but he was fully alert and ready to fight the world.
The ramp came down, and he got the first look at the slaves crammed in the hold, seeing a Taurasian, a couple of Arcturians, three blue Keplerans from 62F, and four from 62E, their fur matted and patchy, a couple with almost white muzzles. Without thinking he tried to Salam toward them, but his right arm failed. Reetina and Seekamp moved the CSM’s armor into the shuttle, and the last view he had was of Seekamp crouched and stabilizing her as the ramp closed. He heard the diminishing whistle as the air was evacuated, then the shuttle moved carefully out into the darkness and disappeared.
***
Two divs later, he limped off the shuttle and through the hatch onto the main deck. He looked at the open slots and backed his armor into a set of clamps, “Captain, I’m in the clamps, lock me in please.”
“You’re locked, Captain. Welcome back. I need to see you at your earliest opportunity on the bridge, if you will.”
“Let me get out of this, and hit the head, then I’ll be there.” He started the shutdown, “Cindy, report maintenance issues to the network, and thank you for bringing me back.”
“Shutting down. Maintenance report completed.” He knelt the armor and climbed slowly out. Once he was on the deck, he stretched and rubbed his thigh where the shot had been given. I hate those fucking stims. That’s gonna be stiff for a week.
Nicole flew into his arms, almost knocking him over in the light G as she babbled, “You had me… us, so worried. We lost contact.” She kissed him then stepped back, “And you stink! And we’ve got a problem.”
Fargo recovered his balance, “Light G because of the slaves? And what problem, Captain Jace wants me on the bridge, ASAP.” He started loping forward and up the decks.
She paced him, “Yes, the G is for them. A total of six lost. OneSvel couldn’t save the shuttle pilot, he… was fried. The sick bay is full of the worst of the slaves, and they are operating on Aphrodite. She’s badly chewed up in her legs, OneSvel’s probably going to cut them off below the knee to keep her alive. And Captain Garibaldi brought back all his dead. We’ve got Captain Culverhouse and all his platoon in the spare bunks, and we don’t have enough rations or air, or water to get back.”
He skidded to a stop, “Get back where?”
“To Hunter.”
He let out a breath, “That’s not a…oh shit.”
“Endine is the only place we can make, and they…”
“Are a three decimal planet for humans only? Well, that is going to go out the window now.”
He went through the bridge hatch, Nicole on his heels, “What do we need to do, Captain?”
Jace turned, “Well, first, what are we going to do with this plant?”
Fargo scrubbed his face and slumped in his chair, as he thought of it. “What do you mean?” Turning to Nicole he asked softly, “I know I should do it myself, but could you please get me a bulb of coffee and an energy bar? I know I shouldn’t ask.”
Nicole looked at him, then smiled. “Since you know better, and admitted it, I’d be happy to.”
His next thought was, I’m going to pay for that. Sooner or later, I’m going to pay. What does he want, dammit. We’ve taken the plant, but don’t have a force to occupy it, and where the hell is the destroy… “Belay my last. We don’t have a force or ship support to occupy the plant. We’ve evacuated or killed everyone. We leave it and notify GalPat. Speaking of GalPat, where is the Lincoln?”
Jace’s laugh had a dangerous edge, “She was last seen heading for the hyper gate. Apparently they had a pressor down here too, and threw a rather large chunk of ice at her. She took some apparently minor damage, but ran like a scared… nearrabbit. She never tried to recover the shuttle, and apparently barely slowed down enough for the other shuttle to catch up. I have filed a report through channels on her and her CO’s behavior.”
Fargo winced. That’s not going to be pretty. Leaving troops behind in combat is… His thoughts were interrupted by Jace, “And we have issues with the sheer number of bodies we now have onboard. We don’t have bunk space, food, or water enough to get back to Hunter. And we could use some fuel too. However, Endine is the only actual planet on the shortest course to Hunter. I have queried their station, and they do not have medical quarantine spaces for thirty plus former slaves. They said they will take the GalPat troops assuming they are human.”
He snorted. “Really? They have stated they will violate GalPat law and convention?”
Jace nodded. “And I have it on tape. They will not even allow us to dock, saying they will only allow their shuttle to come to us. This was even after I identified us as the Fleet Auxiliary Transport GSS Sampson.”
Fargo’s head snapped up, “GSS Sampson? We’re…”
“Properly beaconed, with the correct external markings.”
“How… No, don’t answer that. I don’t want to know. So what rank are you?”
Jace puffed out his chest, “Oh, only a lowly lieutenant commander. That’s the appropriate rank. And beards are legal in the GSS, and yes, I even have the appropriate uniform.”
“And if anybody checks, of course we exist right?” Jace grinned and nodded as Fargo shook his head in wonder. “Can you get an open channel to Colonel Zhu at the Palace?”
Jace smiled. “Of course. Would you like that now?”
Fargo’s smile was feral, “Why not. And send him copies of all the vids and data of Lincoln, plus our battle to take the ice mining plant. Can you page the GalPat captains to the bridge before we connect with the good colonel? And I guess we better brief them on our identity.”
A div later, they had comms with Endine and the GalPat Detachment. Colonel Zhu glared at the vid, “They did what? That’s illegal by every convention and rule of law.”
Jace, now dressed in his uniform, continued, “And Lincoln left us high and dry. We had no choice but to continue the approach, rather than get shot down. Captains Garibaldi and Fargo succeeded in capturing the ice mining operation, while we recovered the damaged assault shuttle. However the additional personnel and recovered slaves are straining our resources. We need at the minimum to offload the thirty-eight slaves, all of whom need medical care, but they are not all human.”
Zhu rolled his shoulders and cocked his head. “Well, Fargo, you’ve done it again,” he said with a sigh. “You do realize how much of a shitstorm this going to cause here?”
“Colonel, I’m simply the liaison for this mission. I’m not conversant on every GalPat law and treaty, but this is a humanitarian issue. And if I remember correctly, that overrides any particular world’s peccadillos.”
Zhu barked a laugh, “Three digit human requirement is a peccadillo? That’s…rich.”
“Well, this whole thing probably ties into the plot to turn Endine over to the Goons, so as far as I’m concerned, they have created this nightmare for themselves.”
“Captain Garibaldi or Culverhouse, are either of you willing to offload your troops to provide security?”
They looked at each other and said in chorus, “No, sir. Our tasking was to take the ice mining operation, and return to base. We have dead to return, injured that need rejuve and need to find our other platoon. Also, all of our troopers are Herms.”
Zhu put his head in his hands, then glared at the vid, “Screw it. Bring your ship here. I’ll meet you with enough hospital personnel and gurneys to move everyone to an isolation ward at the Palace, and I’ll make the director understand they have to help them under GalPat law, at least until I can get them moved to a refugee facility.”
Jace leaned in, “Sir, our ETA is seven divs. When you say here, do you mean the main spaceport at Center?”
“I do.” He reached up to punch the connection off, and they heard, “Deity dam
n you Fargo,” as the vid faded to a black screen.
Fargo turned to Culverhouse, “Where are MobyDineah? Were they with you?”
“No, they were on the other shuttle with… Jackie. I don’t know…”
Jace said softly, “They were recovered by the Lincoln, and appeared undamaged.”
Culverhouse slumped, and a tear rolled down his face before he angrily swiped it away, “Thank you. I didn’t know. We lost all comms, and I really didn’t want to ask.”
Garibaldi put a hand on his arm, “C’mon Mack, let’s go check on the troops.”
***
Jace gently touched down on the corner of the space port as directed, and the IC came on, “On deck, Center Spaceport. Crew and pax are released. Captain Culverhouse, please post guards at aft ramp. Litter bearers report to Captain Garibaldi at the mess.”
Fargo headed for sick bay, and found OneSvel with NasTess the rescued Taurasian working over the medbox containing CSM Aphrodite. “How is she?”
OneSvel twittered, “She will live. We managed to stop the major bleeding and suture the internal injuries prior to getting her into the medbox. Having her data has allowed us to start the regen process immediately.”
“Why is…NasTess here?”
“We are both healers. NasTess was outbound to their residency when captured. They were the doctor and caretaker of the Dragoon on the moon. They have information you need to know, and they want to return with us.”
“How do I?”
NasTess extended a pseudopod, and Fargo nodded. They touched his temple lightly with it and he felt what he decided was a female mind. “Thanks be to you for saving our lives. We are… Doctor, not yet surgeon like OneSvel, but cared for slaves as well as we could. Ton’Kalt was the Dragoon held there. They had blinded him and cut out his tongue before he ever got there. That was about eight or seven of your months ago. They did not know we can… talk like this, very few outside our home world know. We were able to convince Ton’Kalt to eat and maintain his health after he found out he could communicate with us. He was a hostage to…something like a…how you call, a coup? His, we do not know lineage, but younger family member was/is head of Dragoons. Another…family? Was attempting to overthrow them and go back to full scale war, saying the family was not getting the respect and opportunities? That Ton’Kalt’s family did. There were a total of six five slaves when we got there, two four were killed/lost before you saved us.”
“How many slaves were there when we landed?”
“Five one. There are three eight left. One three are gone, including all that were sent to plant for shift.”
“How many guards?”
“Three three. They were all human. Not good men. Abused females, killed…a number with perversions. Beat us when we could not save.”
“I am sorry. Do you not want to recover here?”
“No! We wish…ask…to go with our mate. We have…things to do.”
“Do you—”
“Yes, we know what/who OneSvel is.”
OneSvel exuded a pseudopod and touched Fargo’s other temple. “We would like this to happen for…many reasons.”
Fargo raised his head, dislodging both pseudopods, “Both of you are a bit overwhelming. Sorry. I will talk to Captain Jace and recommend that NasTass stay with us. What was done to decontaminate the slaves?”
OneSvel twittered, “They were given nanites, they are all clear.”
The IC came on with a pop. “Captain Fargo, OneSvel please report to the aft ramp. Captain Fargo, OneSvel aft ramp.”
Fargo grimaced, then spoke to the ceiling, “On our way.”
At the ramp, he saluted Colonel Zhu, who returned it stone faced. “Captain, the Director would like to meet with your medic over the people you are transferring.”
“OneSvel is the medic,” Fargo pointed to him, “And he has data cubes for each person. We will only be transferring thirty-seven.”
Director Vaughn stepped forward. “Captain, nice to see you. OneSvel, did you say?”
“Yes, ma’am. OneSvel, meet Director, Doctor Vaughn. She is the…President of Endine, for lack of a better term, and also a medical doctor.”
OneSvel sort of bent a knee, and extended three data chips in a pseudopod. The two of them quickly lost Fargo with their medical conversation, and he walked over to where the colonel was standing. “I honestly didn’t plan for this to happen, Colonel.”
Zhu’s mouth turned up for a moment, and he replied, “Captain, first rule of combat, no plan survives first contact with the enemy.”
Fargo smiled. “Oh that’s true. But this one—”
“I’ve reviewed the files you sent. And used them to beat the director and PLANSEC into submission on this. There will be a ship here in two weeks that can take the slaves to a refugee center, but there are a lot of questions that will need to be answered. I’ve requested a full GalPat investigation, in addition to a detachment to take control of the ice mining plant.” He looked at Fargo curiously, “Did you really go after the CSM with no help? And manage to save her?”
“I don’t leave people behind, Colonel. It was a close thing, but she’s alive right now. We’ll transfer her to a regen center as soon as we can.”
Zhu shook his head, “You never do anything by halves do you? Let me go supervise these transfers so you can get on your way back to Hunter.”
Fargo came to attention. “By your leave, sir.”
Zhu returned the salute. “Dismissed, Captain. Pardon me for saying this, but I hope I never see you again.” With that, he turned and stalked toward the line of grav gurneys that were lining up on the ramp.
Epilogue
Fargo smiled as Nicole snuggled closer to him, “Doan wanna get up!”
“Not even for brewed coffee?”
“Thas’ bribery.” Nicole squeaked as Canis’ cold nose hit her in the back, “Go way, Canis!”
Cattus jumped on the bed, conveniently landing between them, and Fargo laughed. “I think you’ve been outvoted.” Throwing the covers back, he got up and padded through the cabin to the front door, letting the animals out. Detouring by the kitchen, he started the coffee brewing, then made his way back to the bedroom.
“You want first shot at the fresher?”
Nicole sat up crossly. “Next time, we stay at my place. I had other plans for this morning, but I’ll settle for coffee in bed.” Her smile belied the comment, and Fargo bent, kissed her thoroughly, and headed for the fresher.
Ten segs later, they sat at the small table in the kitchen, silently savoring their coffees and Nicole asked pensively, “Why did the GalPat Det cremate the troops that died? I don’t remember that being done before.”
Fargo took a sip of coffee. “I think they do that when it’s too long a delay to send the body home, wherever that might be. We had the cans, and that’s what we sent back to their home world and families.”
Nicole shuddered. “Barbaric custom, but…it does make sense. The military has always been a little more…I hate to say it, but comfortable with death.”
Fargo leaned back in his chair. “Well, considering it’s our job, so to speak, you do become… I don’t want to say hardened, but more…understanding? Inured? Comfortable? We know we can die at any time, and tend to live that way. At least I know we did in the Corps. And you never thought it would be you that got killed, always the other guy.”
Nicole lay a hand on top of his. “Well, get rid of that idea, mister! That’s off the plate with me!” She finished her coffee, looked out the window at the snow covering the ground and sighed, “It’s so pretty, and so deadly. I don’t see how Canis and Cattus manage, and Urso is, what, hibernating I think you said?”
“They have fur coats, which helps. Urso is up near the waterfall, tucked in a small cave up there, she’s been hibernating for about three weeks now. And don’t forget, snow is actually insulating. They can burrow down and stay warm.”
She laughed. “Speaking of staying warm, the Culverhouse’s were in t
he other night, apparently the CO of the Lincoln is being cashiered. Cowardice in the face of the enemy didn’t go over well, and apparently Jace’s vids and Major Culverhouse’s testimony did him in. Seems he was a Polapp, and only saw combat once as a gunnery lieutenant. They had to smuggle him out of the court and then the brig, apparently there were some GalPat troops that were, ah, less than happy with him.”
Fargo winced. “What’s a Polapp? Wonder if he’ll get off the planet in one piece?”
“Oh, political appointee, somebody owed his family a favor, apparently. Who knows? Speaking of who knows, apparently your guy Mac has, shall we say, been hanging around the winery.”
Fargo cocked his head. “Really? And Holly is putting up with this?”
“She isn’t chasing him off. Matter of fact, they are plotting something, I’m just not sure what.”
“That could be interesting, considering Mac’s past exploits.”
Nicole shrugged. “It’s her life. And if she’s occupied then she’s not looking over my shoulder.” She got up and set her cup in the fresher, “I’m going to clean up, and we can head back to Rushing River.”
“Okay, I’ll drag the liteflyer out. You mind if I take Canis and Cattus with us? I’m trying to get them used to flying.”
“Why?”
“Well, they seem to sense Silverbacks before I can. And there seem to be a pair somewhere near another one of Remington’s logging operations, based on the message he left me.”
“You’re not going to take them into town are you,” Nicole asked sharply.
“Oh no. Just down and back.”
***
Fargo landed the lightflyer and taxied around the corner of the administration building, then stopped it in the sunlight, reaching out on the animal’s frequency, he sent, “Quiet, down. Cover.” Cattus merely looked up and yawned, but Canis whined a little then lay down in the other seat. He reached back and pulled the cargo cover forward, leaving a little gap for them, and opened the canopy.
Helping Nicole out, he said, “Mikhail is going to pick us up for drill on Friday. Are you going?”
“Planning on it. I want to talk to Kamala about some seasonings. Lal and some of the others are wanting me to serve some of their favorites at the Copper Pot, and if I do, I want them to be right. Hugh is willing to cook them if, big if, I give him exact directions and amounts. For some reason he’s scared to death of the Ghorkas.”