Into the Fire Once More: Book 1 of Death's Own Daughter

by Jessie Wolf

  “Actually Sir… I mean Ma’ am… I mean Sir"

  I decide to interrupt the young lieutenant and save her from making a fool out of herself." Okay everybody stop right here right now. Look we all know that I no longer look like a Sir. I know for a fact I definitely don't look like a man anymore. I look like a 16-year-old young lady. And as far as I know from what my AI has been able to tell me I am now 100% female right down to my xx chromosomes. So it might as well use the female pronouns and references that would apply to me as of right now." I look around and see a nodding of the heads in a positive manner all around the table." Okay Lieut. It’s your show."

  With these visible sigh and look of relief on her face young lieutenant looks at me and smiles nodding her head starts to lay out a plan." Well ma’am it's not exactly bulletproof but I believe we can pull this off. The only people that know you were on that flight by yourself were flight officer Alice Lee who just so happens to be a reserve officer with Earth Prime Military High Command Intelligence Security division, the reservation clerk back on Earth Prime, then Navigator for the drop ship, and yourself ma'am. Now we can control three out of four of those possible security breaches. Reserve Officer Maj. Allison Lee knows and understands the importance of operational security. I suggest that we bring her in along with drop ship Navigator First Class Marcus Farwell. The both of these individuals have a reserve commission with the Military High Command was that read into the situation they can access the drop ships passenger log books and make the necessary changes. It will show one James J Owens boarded the drop ship Star well with his granddaughter for a trip to the planet Hades in the Death Gates System. During the attack by the pirates at the Jump point Mr. James Owens suffered massive heart attack resulting in his death. Leaving your granddaughter without a guardian to watch over her. However she does have a full ride scholarship to the Hades military Academy on Hades pride in the capital city of Haifa. Her grandfather was escorting her to the Academy because she has no other family." With a smile on her face Lieut. Walking Water sat back, folded her hands in front of her on the table.

  Now over the years I’ve heard some crazy cover stories but this one, while not at the top of the list, was one of the best. Especially with the way everything was laid out. I mean here I am, up until a few hours ago, a man that would definitely fit the profile of an elderly grandfather who would not let his teenage granddaughter travel to a far-off system to go to school all by herself. And if that school was a military academy on one of the largest military outpost that had monuments to all those who served before giving him a chance to say good bye to his fallen brothers at the same time as teaching her a little history, all the better. I mean this cock-a-may-me scam has almost everything in place to make it work except for one thing. And I’ll be dammed if I’m going to give it to them. No this man is not going to defile the names of my daughter and son-in-law just to cover up the fact the High Command put a Dooms day program in the D.D. AIs all those years ago.

  “Well it seems you have this all worked out Alex. There’s just one problem. You and your staff are not going to defile the good names of my daughter and her husband you ass clown. No it’s not going to happen.” I came so close to losing my temper that the heads up display flickers on then off. I start the deep breathing exercises to calm down.” Especially after you sacrificed their lives on Free Port at the Battle of Four Points you stupid son of a bitch.”

  The look on Stonewalls face and those of his staff were ones for the book. They ranged from total shock to disbelief. Everyone knows of the failed attack by the 3rd ACR but only a few knew that the order to attack came from the man sitting across from me at that time and even those number in the single digits’. For me to know would mean I held a lot higher clearance than everyone had except for the general.

  “Who was your daughter Commander Owens?” asked Lt. Walking Water with some fear in her voice. I have to give it to her, of all the useless R.I.M.F.s that were sitting in front of me at that time, she was probably the only one who had any kind of steel in her spine.

  “If you want to know ask the man who denied their Medals of Honor for fighting a rear guard action while the rest of what was left of their Regiment boarded the drop ship and retreated leaving them behind to die on the field of battle.” I hold out my arm pointing at the general at him with a shaking figure. “The same man who ordered that Regiment to attack a heavily defended well entrenched enemy who had 10 times the fire power they could hope to bring to bear with the weapons they had at their disposal while denying them their requests for orbital bombardment.” I need to back off and calm down my heads up keeps flashing on and off.

  Hay kid you really need to calm down so I can work here. Every time you come close to losing your temper that C.O.B.R.A. os tries to activate.

  Ok Dee De I do my best to calm down. But have you heard what they want to do? They want to use Ohmie and Richard as my parents now, is after old Stoney tried to cover up their deaths being a useless gesture of defiance. I was fighting to keep from crying in front of him and his staff. I would not let these people know the depth of my pain over that loss. Plus there was no way I was going to let Alexander Stonewall get away with trying to use my family again.

  Relax James. Relax use this to get the Honors that Ohmie and Richard deserve and the rest of those who died that day because of his mistakes and incompetence if he wants to do this then make HIM pay.

  What are you talking about Dee De?

  The only way that the plans for the attack on Four Points can be released to the High Command on Earth Prime is for him to do it. Make that one of the conditions for following this plan. Ohmie and Richards Medals of Honor the next and finally make him clear the names of all the troops who were there that day.

  Are you sure you’re only an AI?

  Yes I am sure that I’m only an AI. Why?

  Because my dear sweet Dee De that is positively the most cunning plan for black mail I have ever heard in a long, long, long time. If I could I’d give you a Great Big Kiss.

  As I look down at my hands on top of the table General Alexander “Stoney” Stonewall stands up. Then he does something that I would never have expected him to do. With a deep bow from the waist he says “Commander Owens it is with great regret and the utmost respect that I apologize for the loss of your children under my command. When Capt.’s’ Ohmie and Richard Steal heart fought the rear action they saved the lives of over 25% of the regiment that day. I wish to all that’s Holly that I could have given them the honors they deserved.” With that he stands up and salutes me.

  Well if he thinks he’s going to get off with just that he’s got another thing coming. “Well General Stonewall that ain’t near enough. This is what’s going to happen if you want me to follow through with this plan of yours. Frist you will unseal all the documents concerning Four Points. Then you are going to formally clear the names of all the men and women who died that day at Four Points. Next you’re going to makes sure that the Medals of Honor they should have received for their sacrifices. You do these things for right now in front of me you have a deal.”

  “Very well, you have a deal. Col. House open a channel to the High Command Servers please?”

  “Yes sir.” Three minutes later. “You have your channel to the High Command Sir”

  “Thank you Col. Now to get down to bossiness.” A half hour later and a whole but load of commands everything that I wanted was done. What I didn’t expect was what came in on the heels of the orders for my children’s medals was the mandatory retirement orders for Stonewall. “Well Commander are you happy the Military High Command has order my mandatory retirement. After we get done here today I’m to turn over command to General White here and catch the first drop ship headed for Earth Prime to answer to a board of inquiry.”

  I sat there and looked at the fool wondering if he had any clue at the amount of fire power that was hidden inside of me at that every moment or if his former staff even gave him a report of what they s
aw earlier? Mostly they didn’t. Because no man in his right mind would piss off someone with easy access to a plasma laser rifle. That reminds me I really need to check in with Dee De.” If I may be excused for a few minutes I need to collect my thoughts before I continue?”

  “Of course ma’am. As a matter of act you can take half an hour or longer if you want. I imagine it must be kind of hard to get out of that cat suit you are wearing. If you need the rest room it’s down the hall on the left hand side. I only need to know what name you want to use on your new birth certificate and other id’s. Did your daughter or son-in-law ever have a name picked out if they had a daughter by chance or maybe your wives name perhaps?” Lt. Walking Water with a smile that could light up all of downtown L.A. back on Earth Prime.

  As it turns to answer her I find myself at a loss for words. In all my life I have never had this happen to me. Oh Hell what am I going to do? Here I’m one of the most decorated Death Dealers in living memory, having worked my way up the chain of command to the posting of Battalion Commander from a lowly Private, I was a graduate of the N.C.O. Academies, then Officer Candidates School, and finally Command and Control War Fare School. A man who has given the order that has sent men to their deaths or to their glory. A truly self-made man never without an answer. And I can’t think of something as simple as a girl’s name.

  Dee De front and center girl. All hands on deck. Defcon 5. Huston we have problem! HELP!!!

  Whoa there girl slow down relax and tell me what the problem is.

  That’s it exactly. I’m a girl. A GIRL here and these people want to know what name to put on my new paperwork for my ids. And I have no clue as to what kind of names for a girl is correct. Can you do a fast search of data bases of girl names for me and give some kind of idea?

  Hee Hee Hee. O.M.G. The great and terrible Com. J.J. Owens the man who made Death From Above the motto for the 1st of the 1st of 101st Death Dealers the man who scares the pants off of 4 star Generals can’t even pick out a name for a girl!!!!! Oh my God I can’t wait to get in touch with the other D.D.AIs to share this.

  Oh shut up and run the search already.

  Yes sir oh I mean ma’am I thought you were going to pee your paints the first time that lt. Walking Water called you that. Oh you ready for some good news?

  I’ll take what I can get right now. So what is it?

  I have been able to put the C.O.B.R.A. os into standby mode.

  Dee De THAT is not good news. Its GREAT news. Thank you so much for do that I really did not want to spend the rest of my life on guard of my emotions. Now that I’m going through puberty all over again but this time as a girl with the much looser emotions and quicksilver mood swings I wasn’t looking forward to my first case of P.M.S.

  Ouch yah I can see it now. Some poor idiot pinches you on your backside outcome the P.L.R. and the P.P.C. target hard lock and BOOM! Another brave for the happy hunting grounds.

  Exactly oh excuse me for a minute.

  “Hum... can you give a few more minutes there Lt. you kind of caught me off guard with that question?” I ask sweetly of the pretty young woman.

  “Oh! Yes ma’am. But the sooner I know the sooner I can get it done.”

  “Of course Lt. I understand completely I have it to you in no more than 15 minutes. Is that soon enough for you to work with?”

  “Yes ma’am that will give me enough time to pull up all of the data bases I’ll need to punch it into.”

  I smile get up and walk back to the hanger office to get some more coffee. As I’m refilling my cup and adding the cream and sugar Dee De decides to throw up a list of names in front of me on the heads up display the Minx scared the crap out of me with that stunt.

  Hay! I have that list of names you wanted I stayed with mostly Japanese names that your wives family has used over the last 400 years.

  There was a total of about 37 names up there with the number of times that they were used. But there was one that stood out from all the rest. Its meaning was both beautiful and deadly and somehow that one name fit me. I mean I am beautiful and deadly. All because of what it means. It was my mother-in-laws name and when combined with my name it truly means both beauty and deadly. Maiha Mana Owens that will be my new name.

  Thank you Dee De as usual the information you have provided has been extremely helpful.

  So have you found your new name?

  Yup I sure have and it is a fitting one at that. Maiha Mana Steel Heart.

  With my new name firmly in mind I head back over to Lt. Walking Water. ”Lt. I have my new name for you hope it won’t be too hard for you to slip into the data bases?”

  She look up at me with a slight smile as if to say are you kidding me. “No sweat Com. What would you like for your new name to be?”

  “Maiha Mana Steel Heart.” You could have heard a pin drop.

  Chapter 3

  My new name

  Each and every one of the people standing in that room turned and looked at me as if I had just smacked the holy Emperor himself. Oh yes, that name and that alone is going to turn more heads, upset more stomachs, than just about every other name in history.

  For one thing, the first name is, without a doubt, reserved for the Japanese Imperial family’s use only. While the second and middle names are reserved for those who are descended from the Japanese Shogun families. Then, finally, to have the surname of two Medal of Honor winners is going to get some attention in its own right.

  "Cmdr. You do realize that for you to use that first and middle name you need to have some tie to the Shogun families of Japan?" Asked the very lovely and charming Lieut. Walking Water. The look in her eyes as she contemplated what that name would mean or how I could even be able to claim that name spoke volumes. And I know I should not be this way but I just had to giggle. I can tell these people didn’t even do a simple background check on my family.

  This is so priceless it is almost too perfect to be true; here I am literally with all the cards in my hand. They had no idea that my wife of over 60 years was a direct descendent of one of the most powerful Shogun dynasties in all of Japan. If my daughter had lived to have a child, that child herself, or himself, would have been in line to that very Shogunate. I still marvel over the fact that my beautiful cultured wife ever fell in love with a down to earth, back woods swamp rat commoner like me. For now though I need to put things in motion so I can get on with my new life.

  Looking down at the young lieutenant with a smile and a little giggle to say. "Yeah Lt. I know that those names are reserved for the Shogun families. And as far as me needing ties to a Shogun family, you need to look no further than my deceased wife. If I remember right she was the eldest child in her family, placing her first in line for the Nakatoma Shogunate. And after her would have been our daughter. Then after her, would've been her child. Since were trying to pass me off as my granddaughter and her daughter, I need a name that will reflect that."

  Oh my God the looks on their faces is priceless. I mean, here are all of these highly ranking officials of the planetary government, not to mention military high command, and they just now realize just who I really am.

  “Can you verify this claim? We will need to be able to satisfy the powers that be if it’s true.” Asks one of the other staff officers who I had yet to be introduced to.

  He had the look of a High Families spoiled brat to him. You could tell just by the way he held himself, the cut of his uniform, and of course his general looks. He was tall, blonde haired, and blue eyed. Your typical Aryan ass clown. With a shake of my head and a heavy, put upon sigh I decide to answer this jerk with the same arrogance that he has shown me.

  “May I know your name sir, or is it the practice of all junior officers in the Hades P.D.F. Military to be this rude? I know that if you were a member of a Death Dealer Unit, they would have taught you some manners.”

  The look I give this jerk is one of pure contempt as if he was nothing more than a cockroach. The poor bastard didn’t know how to respo
nd to such a verbal attack. I could see the gears in his mind slamming together and stripping out. I can almost see the thoughts running through his brain; 'Just who does this little girl think she is? Doesn't she know she's supposed to be trying to kiss my ass? I am a member of the HIGH FAMILIES! Nobody, absolutely nobody, talks to us like that. Error! Invalid input! Error! Does not compute! Error! Does not compute! Error.'

  I can't help it, I start to giggle. At hearing my first giggle, Lt. Walking Water starts up with her own giggle, which gets the Major of Intel. Sec. Going, followed by what looks like the Head of Space port Security. Needless to say, pretty soon half the people in the room are laughing out loud at the shmuck.

  Turning a bright red from anger, the ass hat makes the mistake of getting right in my face to scream out. “You do not speak to me in that manner! I am the Vic. Lord High Marshal for this system! If anyone needs to be taught some manners, little girl, it is YOU! You will show the proper respect to your betters! Do you understand me?”

  Yup, just as I thought. He's your typical, High Families spoiled brat, who got his position because of who he is related to and not through hard work and reward. I need to put him in his place now, before he thinks that he's in charge.

  “Listen UP, you over privileged Asshole! As of right now the only person you out rank is the janitor for the zoo. Do you understand? You and the Lord High Marshal General Stonewall have both been relieved of all command responsibility. You can't even order in a pizza, shit head! Now get out of my sight before I blow a whole big in you big enough to march an Armored Power Suit though! Got it?”