USSNS Pallas Athena, In Space-Dock, Rixa Naval Base, Rixa, Belletrix System, Pantari Elant, 1043.02|10|03:34:62
Even though it wasn’t her freeday, Lilith used her short in-shift break to visit the ship’s Temple.
Ophida was pleasantly surprised to see her. “Commander? What brings you to the Lady’s House today? I thought you were on duty.”
“I had a little free time, and I wanted to talk with you, Mother,” Lilith said. “It’s been rather hectic since we last saw each other, and I wanted the opportunity to share my news with you before we shipped out.” Given the mission ahead of them, they both knew that another freeday was an unlikely event for the foreseeable future.
Ophida led her into the Sanctuary. “How can I serve you, Daughter?”
“Mother,” Lilith said as they sat together. “I would have you hear me.”
“Please, speak your heart, Daughter.”
“I met someone while I was on leave,” Lilith said. “A sister of Katrinn’s. Her name is Ingrit.”
“Is this good news?” Ophida asked.
“Yes,” Lilith replied with a light in her eyes that Ophida hadn’t seen in quite a while. “She’s a wonderful person, and we had a very special time together. Since I returned here, I’ve found myself thinking about her a great deal, and I miss her greatly.”
“But?”
Lilith smiled shyly. “But I’m still not sure about things between us. I wonder if this feeling will last, or if everything will come crashing down on me all of a sudden. It’s hard not to think of that, especially since things were so wonderful between us.”
“Perhaps they will, and perhaps they won’t,” the Priestess offered. “But let me ask you this: were you happy when you were with her?”
“Yes, Mother, I was. Very happy.”
“Then that should be your guide, Daughter. Nothing lasts in this universe; not love, or anger, or pleasure, or pain. One passes into another and back again and there are no guarantees that anything will be forever.’
“It’s the fleeting moments of happiness that we must treasure. Without them, life is just one long, hard struggle. As a poet from Old Gaia once said, ‘Tis better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all’. There is great wisdom in this statement.’
“And as you know, ‘The Goddess wills the way,’ Lilith. As I counseled you the last time we spoke, you must accept what She sends you, and enjoy it, for as long as She grants it to you.”
Lilith nodded slowly. “Yes, I understand, Mother. Thank you.”
“Is there anything else you would like to speak with me about, Daughter?”
“Oh, about what you would expect,” Lilith sighed, “The Marine Engineers have most of their gear aboard. All that remains now are the heavy weapons and emplacement components. Engineering says they almost have the space ready for that, and the late shift crews have been reporting the ghost again.”
“Yes,” Ophida acknowledged. “I’m planning my exorcism ritual to take place just as soon as the crews are done with their retrofitting.”
“Good,” Lilith replied. “I’m getting tired of hearing about it. Tell me, Mother, except for ghost stories, how fares the crew? They have your ear, and I’d like to know what they tell you as long as it doesn’t violate your vows.”
“All in all, they fare well enough, Daughter,” the Preistess replied. “A pair of officers from Fire Control and Stores approached me to perform a pairmating ceremony before we ship out and I’m in the process of scheduling it. You received their request, I hope?”
“Yes, Mother, and I approved it,” Lilith answered. “But I’m a little concerned about the pairing. The supervisor for the woman in Stores mentioned that they might also be considering parenting a daughter.”
“Yes,” Ophida said. “I can share that much with you without violating their trust. They mentioned the possibility to me when they approached me to perform the rite.”
“That could cost Stores a good officer,” Lilith observed.
“Yes, but how good an officer would either of them be if they were denied this?” the Priestess asked. “If they paired, but couldn’t consummate their union by bearing a child, resentment would grow inside both of them. Better to bend to the Lady’s Will on this matter, I’d say.”
“Yes,” Lilith nodded. “I realized that, and I’ll approve the maternity leave if they ask me for it, provided that they take it after our patrol.”
“That seems a reasonable condition,” Ophida agreed. “You know that the couple has also asked that you attend the ceremony. Will you? They had hoped to have the Pairing at the start of the next week.”
“I will, Mother,” Lilith promised. “I wouldn’t want to slight them by not being there. Please tell them that they can count on my presence. We still have another week and a half according to the Chief Engineer before we’ll be ready to ship out.”
Ophida smiled. “I am glad that you can accommodate them. They seem to be a well-matched couple. Is there anything else that you would share with me, Daughter?”
“No, Mother. I have shared all that was within my heart,” Lilith replied formally.
Ophida rose and placed her hands on Lilith’s head. “May the Lady always guide you, my Daughter. May she sooth your troubled brow, and be a comfort to you as you perform your duties. Blessings of the Goddess be upon you as you go forth from this place.”
Lilith stood and clasped the Priestesses hands. “And Blessings be upon you, Mother. Thank you, as always, for listening and for teaching me.”
USSMC Training Facility, 75th Training Battalion, Hella’s World, Hecate System, Artemi Elant, United Sisterhood of Suns, 1043.02|10|05:43:65
"Now that you have mastered the pugil stick, we will move on to the next level,” Troop Leader n’Teri said. “There is one weapon, more than any other that distinguishes the Marines as a unique military service. It is the bayonet."
She held up a Mark 7 energy rifle with a wicked looking knife attached to its barrel. Like the pugil stick, the archaic weapon made her appear almost humorous, but after her demonstrated prowess at hand-to-hand combat, and pugil stick fighting, no one was tempted to make any jokes.
“The bayonet serves two purposes that have made it a part of our arsenal since the very first Marines were formed back on Gaia centuries ago. The first is that it teaches aggression, and aggression, ladies, is what warfare is all about.’
“The second is that it teaches us to never surrender. The bayonet is the weapon of last resort for the Marine. If your Mark 7 has run out of charge, malfunctions, when you need to make a silent attack, or when you must engage your enemy at extremely close quarters, then you will employ the bayonet."
N’Teri walked over to a training dummy that had been made up to look vaguely like a Hriss. "I will now demonstrate the five killing blows."
With that, the small woman let out a hideous scream and proceeded to attack the dummy with a series of vicious jabs and strikes. Watching her, Kaly suddenly felt a profound respect for the outdated weapon. Had the dummy been a real Hriss, she had no doubt that the Troop Leader’s attack would have finished the creature off in short order.
N’Teri turned back to face the platoon. ”Since you ladies are new to this weapon, you will practice the maneuvers without it. We will begin with the forward jab which you may recall from your pugil bouts." She demonstrated by stepping forwards and thrusting outwards.
"Do it like that. Begin."
The platoon, which had been standing in a line with their un-charged Mark 7’s, did their best to imitate the move. Kaly was pretty sure she had gotten the motion right when the DI interrupted the class.
"No!" the DI declaired. "That’s not how to do it. I want to hear you yell when you thrust. I want to hear it loud, and I want to hear it angry! This will stimulate your adrenaline in real combat, and just possibly give you the edge you will need to prevail. Now, again!"
Kaly and the others stabbed the empty air, giving out what they thought were pa
ssable battle cries, but again, N’Teri was unsatisfied with their performance.
"Louder!" the woman urged. "Remember what we are fighting for!"
For just an instant, as N’Teri said these words, an image of a helpless young girl flashed in Kaly’s mind. She didn't know it, but the image had been subliminally implanted in everyone's consciousness during their daily PTS sessions to stimulate their maternal instincts. For her, the mental picture blended with her own memories of the bodies of her classmates lying out in the Gathering Square, back on Persephone. She thrust out with her weapon, uttering a fierce cry that came up from the very depths of her, a primal wail of pure rage.
"Yes! N’Deena has it a’right!" N’Teri said raising her fist. "That is what I was waiting to hear! Remember this if you forget everything else people; we are the thin grey line that stands between our enemies and the murder of our loved ones! Anyone or anything that dares to try and cross that line must be met with our absolute and unwavering resistance. Now, again!"
The session went on for another hour. By the time the lesson had concluded, the platoon had managed to master the five basic maneuvers. To show that she was satisfied with them, N’Teri allowed Platoon Carli to march back in formation to their barracks with their brand new RB-22 bayonets attached to their Mark 7's.
As they headed back, Kaly realized that she was not tired in the least. Her exhaustion had completely vanished, replaced instead by a heady sense of elation. She felt like she was ready to take on the entire universe.
Sa’Tela and N’Vera were waiting for the platoon at the Parade Ground, and watched them critically as they passed, trying to spot any missteps in their formation. Kaly kept her eyes forward, and concentrated on her marching, and there was a spring in her step that had never been there before.
***
The Bayonet Assault Course was a combination obstacle course and close-quarters combat range. A series of beams, fashioned from concrete, were scattered throughout its length, each at varying heights, and ranging from ankle high to waist high barriers. A low ditch, covered with barbed wire lay beyond the beams, and simple square targets made from heavy plastic foam, and set on posts, stood at attention at seemingly random locations.
“Alright, ladies,” N’Teri said. “The objective of this course is simple. You are to negotiate the obstacles and make your way to your opponent’s position, which are the targets you see on the posts. You are to use your bayonet and eliminate them. Once you have finished with an opponent, you are to move on, attacking each one until you have completed the course. You are not to drop your blaster for any reason and you must score a hit on every opponent. Zat klaar?”
“Ma’am, yes, ma’am!”
“Very good,” N’Teri replied. “First pair: Bel Anny and Enggredsdaater, go! And I want to hear your battle yell!”
The two women gave out ferocious cries and ran into the course. When Bel Anny reached the first waist-high barrier, she threw herself over it, rolled and recovered, and then ran on.
Enggredsdaater was less graceful than her battle sister, and more or less collided with the obstacle before rolling off it sideways. After suffering a hard landing, she got to her feet, and pelted after Bel Anny.
“That’s going to be me,” Lena n’Gari said fearfully. “I just know it.”
“We’ll see,” Kaly replied, secretly sharing her battle sister’s doubts.
By this point, Bel Anny had arrived at the first foam target which was situated at the edge of the wire pit, and shoved her bayonet into it. But when she tried to pull the weapon free, the foam resisted, and she was forced to plant a foot against the support pole and pull with all her might. The blade finally came out, but Bel Anny nearly tumbled backwards.
Seemingly unfazed, she let out another battle yell and ran onwards, diving into the pit, and crawling under the wires. Then she was coming out the other end and rushing at the next target.
This time, she brought up the butt end of her blaster and dealt the target a blow with it before jabbing with her bayonet. The blade released more easily this time, and Bel Anny was off to attack the target beyond it.
Enggredsdaater had much less trouble with the first target, but she was very nearly defeated by the wire pit. Unlike her smaller partner, the large-framed woman had difficulty keeping low enough to avoid the wires. On two occasions, the sharp barbs caught on her fatigues and she was forced to power through, tearing holes in her clothing, but in the end, she made it out and completed the course.
When the pair returned to the group, both of them were out of breath, and Kaly saw that Enggredsdaater had suffered a wound on her leg where the wire had bitten into more than just cloth.
“Good work, you two,” N’Teri said. “Bel Anny, you might want to watch over-penetrating with the blade. As you found out, you can get hung up on a target. The same thing can happen with a real flesh and blood body. And Enggredsdaater, I don’t think I need to tell you that you need to keep your ass down a little lower, do I?”
“Ma’am, no, ma’am!”
“Good, now get yourself over to MedBay and get that leg looked at. And don’t let me hear that it’s going to take up any of your training time, Klaar?”
“Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” Enggredsdaater bellowed. The two women trotted off together, double time.
“Next pair: N’Deena and N’Gari!”
With a nod to each other, the two women started off. N’Gari proved to be the faster of them and took the obstacles first. While Kaly negotiated the low beams, N’Gari had reached the waist high beam. For a moment, she hesitated, and then threw herself over the top, managing to reproduce a passable copy of Bel Anny’s roll-and-recover maneuver.
Kaly came up next, but she was so intent on the waist-high beam that her foot caught on the last of the lower ones. Tripped by it, she flopped forwards to the ground with a groan, holding her blaster off the ground for all she was worth.
N’Teri yelled something behind her, but Kaly ignored it and scrambled to her feet. With a loud cry she leaped over the waist-high beam and came down on the other side, rolling across her shoulder blade like she’d been taught in Primary gym class, and coming up on her feet.
Then she was rushing towards the first target. She brought her bayonet to the fore and lunged. The blade bit into the target with a force that surprised her, and for an instant, she was afraid that she would not be able to withdraw it. At the last moment before she was about to bring up her foot, it came loose and she ran on to the wire-pit.
Up ahead of her, N’Gari had made it out of the pit and was moving on to the next set of targets, but Kaly only spared her the briefest of glances. After her experience with the waist-high beam, she didn’t want a repeat of her misadventure. She threw herself to the ground and clambered into the pit, doing her level best to keep her body away from the sharp barbs overhead. The wire clanged and hissed like a living thing as she passed underneath it, but aside from a passing snag from one of the last wires at the end, she made it through unscathed except for a little sand that had managed to find its way into her right eye.
Blinking furiously to clear the tears, she ran on, dealing the next target a butt-strike, followed with an overhead blow with the barrel of her blaster, and finally a killing thrust with the bayonet.
The final target lay ahead, half concealed in a low pit that simulated a dug-in emplacement.
The sand proved treacherous there, and Kaly fought briefly for her footing. A flashback came to her of her collapse during the Platoon’s first march, but she was not about to let that reoccur, and dug in with the butt of her blaster and hauled herself up the slope. Then she was over the top, charging down at the target with a roar.
N’Teri critiqued the pair when they returned to the Platoon. “Absent a few spills here and there, you both did well enough and recovered quickly in each instance. Now, I will say this; N’Gari, you need to be a little more aggressive and learn to trust yourself. You did fine when you finally took the waist beam. N’Deena, yo
u need to watch where your feet are.”
“Ma’am, yes ma’am!” Kaly replied.
“Good. Next Pair: Bel Haariet and T’Sheela. Go!”
By the time the sun had set on Hella’s World, the entire Platoon had negotiated the course. There were a few minor injuries, the worst being Bel Haariet, who had tripped on a low beam and cracked a tooth, and a couple of recruits who had earned themselves some bruises with bad footing, or missteps. Despite these setbacks, N’Teri was satisfied with their overall performance, and Platoon Carli returned to their barracks in high spirits.
USSNS Pallas Athena, In Space-Dock, Rixa Naval Base, Rixa, Belletrix System, Pantari Elant, United Sisterhood of Suns, 1043.02|11|03:96:32
Jon backed the freight-loader slowly, keeping a careful eye on the rear holo-displays for any traffic behind him. Even though the anti-ship missiles that the loader was carrying were packed in an armored case and nestled in protective foam, he was still nervous about working with them. Most of his fellow ordnance workers, having served a much longer stint in the stores than he had, had a more casual attitude. But Jon had heard too many tales, whether they were true or not, of the disasters that could happen hauling ordnance around a ship, and he wasn’t about to let his guard down for one nano.
As he moved across a traffic lane and into the next row of bomb racks, his psiever alerted him that he had a message. Because of the volatile nature of some of the items stored in the area, normal comlinks weren’t used and psievers did double their normal duty. Making sure that no one was coming his way with another load, he stopped the machine to access the device.
The text message appeared in his vision. It said; “You have a visitor. Ordstores entrance G-1. Report immediately.” It vanished and he saw that an Ordnancewoman was coming towards him.
“Fa‘Teela,” she said, “I’ll take over your load for you. Get over to G1.” Jon jumped out of the loader’s seat and made his way to the entrance area, curious about the identity of his visitor.
Sisterhood of Suns: Pallas Athena Page 36