The Black Guard: Book II: Evolution (Black Guard Series 2)

by C. R. Daems

  Later that morning, I dropped off my report. We spent the next two days preparing for our trip and working out, while I waited for Wexler to call me in for a review.

  * * *

  "The JCC is very pleased with the outcome on Safort, Sapir. For better or worse, you have become their problem solver … and the engine of change. The large number of deaths resulting from the boarding action against the raiders in Heibei space has convinced General Lerman that the marines need a special boarding unit analogous to the Black Guard. After your post-assignment vacation, he wants you to design and train the first batch."

  "That should be fun, sir, and I think it will save lives," I said, thinking it would be worth the effort.

  "I agree, but I would suspect only a dragon wouldn't see it as a competition."

  "We're all part of the Jax family."

  "True. But because we weed out individuals—army, marines, and then Guard—too many see it otherwise. And that brings us to your wanting a Guard shuttle. Isn't that competing? The navy has shuttles and will lend them to us when we need them, so why do we need one?"

  "I didn't mean the Guard should have shuttles manned by Guard personnel. On my recent assignments, I've found we are frequently guarding clients who travel. The marine shuttles are very adequate; however, they are built to accommodate twenty to thirty troops and are not built for comfort. The executive shuttles are very comfortable but aren't built to deal with missile attacks. What I'm suggesting is a hybrid somewhere between an executive and a combat shuttle, maintained and crewed by the navy but there for the Guard when required."

  Wexler laughed. "I see why the senior officers of the other services like you. We all talk about the other services as being part of the Jax family, but you actually see them as family, and they feel that from you. All right, I'll give the JCC your idea."

  * * *

  "Do you think the JCC will approve a special shuttle dedicated to the Black Guard?" Hada asked as we sat in the taxi shuttle on our way to Avivo.

  "I think there is a chance. Without a marine shuttle on Safort, we would have lost a client and eight Guards. So it's not a question of whether we will need shuttles in the future, it's a question of whether our evolution requires new equipment."

  "Why not have the Guard crew the shuttle?"

  "Because that would put us in competition with the marines," I said wanting to keep the Guard true to its long history—we were elite guards, not pilots or mechanics or ECM specialists. "Let each of us do what we do best."

  "Yes, family." Hada smiled. "I love the Guard, but I do enjoy coming home and seeing my birth family. I'm not looking forward to being a civilian, but I know someday it will happen and I need to be ready for it. Besides, it helps to take a break from worrying about …"

  "A member of your detail dying," I said, knowing the feeling well. "And killing."

  "Yes," she said quietly, her eyes misty. "I know we are in a killing profession but it doesn't come easily."

  The taxi came to a stop and the driver came around to open the door.

  "Good. Let's hope we never see the day when death and killing don't bother us." I gave her a tight hug and climbed out.

  * * *

  This session—I thought of them as training sessions—appeared to have been designed by Daiyu, Hada's mother, to find the activities that Hada and or I enjoyed, as an introduction to things we might want to do when we retired. It wasn't like we would need jobs. Our pensions would be enough for a modest lifestyle, but we would need something to do to make life interesting. So we were exposed to a wide variety of activities—to watch, not participate. My understanding was next time we might participate in one or two we thought we might enjoy.

  I attended the church services of Hada's father, Jian, every week along with the family. The second week we were home, he had invited a renowned Buddhist Monk to speak. The man fascinated me. I felt like I was listening to the Buddha himself.

  Afterward, Jian introduced us.

  "Choje Abhaya, I would like to introduce you to my family, my wife Daiyu, daughters Lui, Hada, and Mei, and adopted daughter Rivka. Both Hada and Rivka are captains in the Black Guard."

  "A pleasure to meet you," Abhaya said with a small bow. "I'm curious, is it difficult being in the Black Guard and following the Buddhist way?"

  "Although my family is Buddhist and my father a teacher, I was too young when I went into the Jax military to understand the concepts. And becoming a Black Guard has been all consuming," Hada said.

  I couldn't help interrupting.

  "I've known Hada for most of her life, and I'd say she lives the Buddhist Eightfold path whether she considers herself a Buddhist or not … sorry," I added quickly. I couldn't help the outburst. To me, Hada had saved me from my own private hell and was the gentlest, kindest person I knew.

  "Are you a Buddhist, Rivka?" Abhaya asked with a slight smile on his lips.

  "No, I've just become acquainted with Buddhism through Hada's father. I like the concept: the Noble Truths, the five Precepts, and the Eightfold Path. It feels right to me."

  "But what about the killing?"

  "Must we abandon country, duty, and the lives of innocents to be Buddhist?" I felt my face heat at my outburst toward a senior Buddhist monk.

  But he appeared to take no offense.

  "A very provocative question. The Buddhist looks for an ideal state, but realistically, we live in a chaotic world …" Abhaya went on to tell me a little about his life.

  Over the next few weeks, he and I spent many hours discussing Buddhism and the Gathas, teachings of the Buddha, and the Three Treasures: the Buddha (an enlightened person), the Dharma (the body of truth a Buddha becomes enlightened to), and the Sangha, (the community that tries to live its life based on the Buddha's teaching). I loved those talks.

  * * *

  "You and Abhaya spent a lot of time together," Hada said as we sat drinking tea in the shuttle back to Cordo City.

  "Yes, he is a fascinating man, and he helped me understand Buddhism better and resolve many of the questions I've had. He was so easy to talk to, like I'd known him all my life."

  "Father says Abhaya is as close to enlightened as any man is likely to get in this day and age."

  "How did your dates go?" I asked, curious since I had decided to skip my introduction to dating for the opportunity to talk with Abhaya.

  "Nice in a way and strange in another. A few of the men were enjoyable to be with, but I sensed they felt they were … superior. That might not have felt so strange if I were a corporal in the Guard." She laughed. "It was interesting and fun being home, but I'm glad to be returning to Sasser Mountain.

  "Me, too. Especially because my sister is returning with me." I gave her a hug, which she returned.

  * * *

  I entered Wexler's office and bowed low. "You wanted to see me, Commander?" I was surprised to see General Lerman sitting in a chair to the right of Wexler's desk.

  "Yes, Sapir, get something to drink and sit. General Lerman has a special assignment for you."

  "Your idea for restructuring our practice range on the Deathstalker has produced good results; however, after our latest encounter with the raiders on Heibei, I've come to the conclusion that we need a specially trained group of marines for boarding actions—first boarders. Not only is the Black Guard evolving, but so is the Jax as we expand our presence in the Helix system. I, with the JCC's approval, want you to develop the program and see to the first graduates. And ..." He smiled. "You can oversee the design of the first Black Guard shuttle. We of the JCC agree that we cannot evolve if we continue to do things the old way."

  "I'll need help, General."

  "Help?"

  "Yes, sir. I'll need help to understand the boarding procedures and the functions of a combat shuttle." I certainly wasn't qualified in either and couldn't help until I understood them.

  "That was the one problem the JCC foresaw—having a Black Guard designing a program for marines, who tend to feel in
competition with the Black Guard. But I think you're the right person. I've had several talks with General Isaac about you. He says you always make him feel like you are just another branch of the military, not some elite group come to show him how it should be done." He turned to look at Wexler. "Commander, I'd like to get started as soon as Captain Sapir can be freed from her other duties."

  "She's available now, fresh back from post-assignment leave."

  "Thank you, Commander Wexler. Captain Sapir, Colonel Odelia will be expecting you at Camp Eillat two days from now. He's in the process of assembling the volunteers for the first class. We are going to call the unit Talons. I'll send a shuttle to pick you up."

  * * *

  The shuttle that arrived to pick me up must have been for senior officers, because it had a corporal to see to my comfort and well-padded leather upholstery in addition to wider than standard shuttle seats. It emphasized the difference between the Guard's Spartan nature and the other services: the Guard had no awards except for the double-dragons, had only seven ranks, and our base on Sasser Mountain was isolated from cities and had few luxuries. The rest of the military on the other hand had over twenty ranks, at least forty awards of various types, had bases near cities which provided access to entertainment during off-duty hours, and special luxuries as one's rank increased, like this shuttle. I knew many would think our lives harsh, but I liked the simplicity of it.

  When I exited the shuttle, Colonel Odelia met me with Yarden, who was now a captain. Yarden saluted while the colonel and I exchanged bows.

  "Welcome to Camp Eillat, Captain Sapir. This should be an interesting experiment." Odelia gave a wry smile.

  "Very," Yarden said quietly, almost to himself.

  "I'm looking forward to working with marines. I suspect I'll learn a lot," I said, excited at the idea of the inter-service experience.

  Odelia nodded. "You're right, Dragon Sapir. After all these years, even I get sucked into the inter-service … comparisons. A Black Guard teaching marines … but who better to teach us how to be more efficient? You have my full and unconditional support. Captain Yarden will see to getting you whatever you need."

  "Thank you, Colonel. I'd like a couple of senior marines with boarding experience and to see a demonstration exercise. I've never been part of a boarding party."

  "Yarden, have them report to headquarters … no, the firing range in two hours. I'll take Captain Sapir to her quarters and get her settled." Odelia nodded toward a military limo.

  The quarters were for visiting high-ranking officers, judging by the accommodations and the personnel on duty twenty-four seven to handle any requests. He showed me to the officer's mess and club and ensured I was registered for unrestricted access. Then he gave me a whirlwind tour of the base. Finally we arrived at the firing range where Yarden and three sergeants were waiting.

  They braced to attention and saluted as we neared.

  "This is Captain Sapir of the Black Guard. She's been assigned by General Lerman to create a training curriculum and qualify the first Talon team." Odelia stepped back with a slight grin on his lips, as if preparing to watch an interesting contest.

  "Captain Sapir, I'm Gunny Alaniz. I understand you've never participated in a boarding action …" He briefly glanced toward the colonel before continuing. "So how are you going to teach us a more efficient way?" His eyes locked defiantly on mine and his face was taut with anger.

  The other two sergeants silently nodded agreement.

  "I'm not here to teach you your job. There are, however, similarities between fighting in a building and fighting in a spacecraft. If we can save one life by sharing our experiences, I would consider it worthwhile," I said, meeting each of their stares.

  "My understanding is that you are going to teach us how to shoot. We can already hit the kill zone every time, so why do we need you?"

  "If you are content with your present casualty rates, then you don't need to change. There are leaders who would consider their troops expendable pawns. I met a colonel like that recently. Unlike them, I agonize over the death of every Jax whether army, marine, or Guard."

  "We are in a killing profession," Gunny Ezell said. "People die. We can't stop that."

  "No we can't, but we owe it to our troops to look for tactics that minimize losses. That's all I'm suggesting with the Talon teams."

  "By changing the targets?" Ezell nodded toward the firing range.

  "No, shooting at standing targets demonstrates little. I want you to show me a live exercise. Once I understand your environment, I'll let you prove I can't improve on your current tactics."

  Alaniz laughed. "Deal." All three were smiling in anticipation of making me look foolish. "Tomorrow at nine hundred hours."

  "I'm surprised you didn't give them a demonstration at the firing range. I've seen you shoot. It's impressive." Yarden was commenting on the time I was there evaluating my family's new Mfw.

  "It would prove I'm faster and a better shot than they are, but they already know that. It wouldn't prove it would help in boarding actions. Besides, I couldn't teach them to shoot to the Guard's standard without years of training. No, they need a practical demonstration."

  "Captain Sapir is right, Yarden, and smart not to use General Lerman as her authority. They would go along because they were ordered to do so, but it would be better if they saw it as a good idea—a better way," Odelia said.

  * * *

  The next day, they drove me to a field containing several old cruisers and merchant ships. At my insistence, they first walked me through a merchant ship configured like a raider, pointing out the various compartments: bridge, crew quarters, weapons, shuttle bay, maintenance, storage, and environmental. This particular model had two levels. Then, about twenty-five troops dressed in black suits—who would pose as raiders—entered the ship.

  I couldn't help but wonder if the color black hadn't been intentional.

  Then the gunny collected some twenty-five troops that would constitute the boarding party.

  "Boarding varies by the type of ship and the damage it's sustained. We can blow the hatch or enter through existing damage. Today, to make it easy, we will enter through the shuttle bay as if it had been breached," Gunny Alaniz said while pointing to an open bay. "We are using paintball ammunition, so you will want to wear coveralls." He handed me a blue one. "Blue is for officers and sergeants acting as observers. You can't always count on not getting hit by a stray bullet. Things can get very chaotic at times. It's not like being in a building," he added, trying not to grin.

  "I understand," I said with a nod of my head. I imagined he had briefed the troops that a Black Guard would be observing, so I expected to get hit several times. I was being tested on many levels but didn't mind. I had nothing to prove, only hoping to help them reduce the number of unnecessary Jax deaths.

  "Usually, the observers position themselves in the hallways. Where would you like to start?"

  "I'll just go along as if I were one of the boarding party," I said, slipping into the blue suit. "I'd like to get a realistic experience of boarding."

  "You aren't wearing protective gear, ma'am. Those paintballs carry quite a punch when they hit."

  "Thank you, Gunny, but I'm dressed adequately."

  He shrugged. "Sergeant Nagy, whenever you're ready."

  Sergeant Nagy smiled and waved for me to move closer to him. When I did, he began giving orders and the boarding party began moving into the bay with me following.

  It took an hour to clear the ship of raiders. During that time, I got hit four times—at least three on purpose—and totally enjoyed the experience. I was right to have participated, because there was no way talking about the exercise could have conveyed the actual experience. The raiders had set up explosive charges, and they conducted multiple ambushes as the boarding team made its way through the ship.

  "Captain Sapir, are you hurt?" Colonel Odelia asked when he saw my splattered suit. Yarden and the three sergeants were trying unsuccessf
ully to restrain grins.

  "No, sir. Getting hit helps with the realism," I said, smiling for reassurance.

  "Well, Captain Sapir, what do you think?" Alaniz asked.

  "The exercise was just what I needed to understand your environment. Before we come up with a final curriculum, I'm going to need more exercises and your help in understanding the complexities involved." I held up my hand to stop any comments. "But tomorrow I'd like to be the lead in the boarding party," I said, which elicited grins and obvious excitement.

  * * *

  "Corporals Currin and Bittner are assigned to dismantle any explosives and identify likely traps … are you sure you don't want a few troops for backup?" Gunny Ezell asked, frowning. "And what about coveralls? The paint will wash out, but …"

  "I'm sure, Gunny. I want to experience what the lead man does, and the coveralls may give me a sense that it's a game rather than the real thing. The referees understand that when I'm killed, I'll want to continue like a new trooper?"

  "Yes, they have been briefed. Ma'am, that uniform is going to make those … raiders try harder … and you have no face protection." The gunny actually looked worried.

  "Thank you, Gunny, for the warning. I understand the risk, but I'm trying to make the exercise as close to the real experience as possible. I believe working inside a permanent structure and a spaceship should be similar. I'm hoping this exercise will help me determine how similar and identify how they differ." I grinned. "Besides, Gunny, you know everyone is looking forward to watching a Black Guard get painted."

  "Yes, ma'am, but General Lerman …"

  "I'm not here to prove the Black Guard is better than the marines. I'm here to see if you can benefit from our techniques. We are all Jax and equal. No one death is any more or less important than another. So, let's get on with the entertainment."

  "Yes, ma'am." He waved to the sergeant in charge of the raiders, who entered the ship smiling and shouting with excitement.

  I noticed Colonel Odelia standing off to the side with Yarden, who looked worried, whereas Odelia looked amused.

  Ten minutes later, the gunny's Comm beeped.