The Recruitment: Rise of the Free Fleet

by Michael Chatfield

  Angry with myself at thinking I could have anything more than loneliness. I looked to the front moving away from Yasu.

  Chapter A new reality

  Yasu looked at the mirror in the attached bathroom of the couple pod.

  She was furious at herself, she should’ve reacted faster pulling her blade out of him, but he’d grabbed her and the look in his eyes the raw trust and acceptance of who she was had stopped her. It felt as if he could see her very soul, he could accept it and would do so. She’d been so stunned she’d only known she was trapped when their Mechas had smashed into one another.

  He’d brought her close so close she could feel the heat of his breath, see the blood on his lips had made her remember what was happening as she tried to pull the sword out of him.

  She wanted to stop; she remembered the feeling, that for some reason she didn’t want to hurt him. That she wanted him to survive. How she wanted to do anything to make sure he was never in pain again. She’d held onto the blade making sure it moved as little as possible as he pulled her down proposing to her.

  She’d been in near panic as he smashed off her helmet and then looked at her with those eyes. Her panic vanished as she looked back at him. His warm touch made her realize her loneliness, how she missed her father, her comrades, even the crazy Sato sisters.

  She felt tears fill her eyes she touched the place where his hand had been. The feeling of having another person touch her with affection even with her deadly abilities, her training said she shouldn’t care about those things, but the human in her longed for acceptance.

  She remembered the punch it was perfectly lined up to knock her out with the least amount of force. It had felt like a kiss compared to the hits she’d taken in training.

  She wasn’t hurt that he’d done it; he was a warrior doing what he needed to do. She was annoyed at herself for not reacting to his hold and knocking him out first. She’d come to watching as the black arms of the medical table had worked furiously. She’d been mesmerized and terrified as they fought to keep him alive.

  Then as they looked as if they’d barely finished their work he was pulled back together and a needle administered to his neck as his clamps were released.

  The way he cringed and the look of his wound made her doubt that the machines had been completely finished. She winced as he got up and moved trying to look like he wasn’t wounded. Then it seemed like a switch was thrown and a mask descended on his face and he straightened as if he was perfectly fine. She remembered how she’d taken in his muscular body and front cover perfect appearance despite his new scars, quickly looking away in embarrassment as she collected herself.

  She’d questioned him and his honour; attacking him. Instead of asking is he was okay. A lifetime of making walls and learning how to deal with the next opponent had made her speech like a fight. If she wasn’t in a position of power she would fight to attain it. As soon as she talked she saw as his mask entombed him. It had cracked as she’d curse him for having the power over everyone. For trusting everyone as she couldn’t placing her issues upon him.

  She’d been stunned by what he said. She remembered his upbringing. He’d been an orphan, part of the system filled with bullies. He had to act a certain way to not be bullied and beaten up. She had learned her mistrust of others by watching her father in the business world. She’d learned to read people and could see how so many humans lied and little actually told the truth.

  She’d seen the truth in Salchar’s face, no James’ face as he dropped his mask revealing his worries to her like a floodgate. She gripped her battle suit, what was this feeling she felt, empathy? No she didn’t have such feelings she said pulling her hand away. Yet still she knew the anger he directed at himself for his thoughts of only keeping himself alive. Thoughts she had no doubt that everyone had at one point in their training. Even as he looked away hiding his eyes she saw in his body language how much he wanted to get those that had suffered under the planetary defence free.

  She wanted to tell him that it would never work, but then he’d looked into her eyes, and somehow she knew that once Salchar said he would do something, he would do it. As he asked her to marry him her shock over-rode her brain it seemed as she snapped out a response.

  Anger burned through her at herself as she remembered how she’d knocked away his consoling hand. The way his face had gone completely emotionless and moved away from her showing less emotion than a rock. How could she be so emotionless? She thought to herself as the holographic pastor signalled for her and Salchar to come forward.

  He didn’t offer his arm again as they walked up the altar a holographic pastor in front of them saying the phrases in Japanese and Korean for them both. Salchar had looked above her head not wanting to meet her eyes as they were made to face one another. It had hurt more than when she’d been punched as she looked at his chest keeping her face impassive. His voice held no emotion as they went through the rites. Hers didn’t either after years of practice from public affairs personnel hiding the inner pain she felt. Her eyes had searched for his, to look at her for her to understand what was going through his mind.

  She found herself for once wanting to know what another was feeling. It’s not empathy, you’re just trying to find out his weaknesses. She reasoned, thinking of how he flaunted his dishonourable wins as if they were true victories which quickly brought back her cold anger.

  Once the ceremony was completed everyone had applauded she felt colour fill her cheeks which she suppressed. Salchar grinned, his apparent happiness not reaching his eyes as he guided her down the aisle without actually touching her. They’d gone through the hatch at the end of the aisle Salchar’s mask still in place as they followed a corridor, going inside the only open door which closed behind them. He lay down on the bed, raising his legs to release the pressure on his scars as she found refuge in the bathroom trying to understand what exactly had happened to her that day.

  After a few minutes of mental battles she gave up taking a shower, it still smelt as bad as ever but the bathroom had two towels which she put to use luxuriating in how they felt tucking one around her. She walked out drying her hair finding Salchar fast asleep on the bed.

  She quickly turned off the light, finding near darkness, the first time that she’d ever felt her eyes relax from the strain of looking through the weird atmosphere and lighting the training facility had.

  Her eyes quickly adjusted as she could pick out the details of Salchar’s face. How many plans did he have in that mind of his, had he planned for this. Despite what he’d said about riding by the seat of his pants it seemed he was five steps ahead of everyone. She thought as she squatted by his head studying him. His face looking troubled she touched his face the roughness of his five o’clock shadow rubbing against her hand.

  He moved into her hand pressing his face against it firmly. Her breath caught in her throat the trust he was placing in her filled her. She studied his features closely; she could see the lack of sleep indicators. He’s slept as little as possible while being in the squad pod. Her eyes travelled down as she studied him. Any softness from before had been turned into hardened muscle he looked like an Olympic god. She moved her hand away slowly still studying him.

  She turned moving to the bed moving her pillow so she was looking at Salchar. She watched as his powerful chest rose and fell her eyes becoming heavy as she let sleep take her.

  ***

  I awoke with a start—immediately scanning the room for a threat. I relaxed seeing there was no one that was going to try and kill me immediately and Yasu was asleep. I caught myself, turning back as I looked at her face turned towards me. It was the first time I remembered her looking peaceful. I laid there studying her face her hair framing it as I allowed myself a small smile as I picked myself up.

  I paused as I grabbed a battle suit from the built in closet in our room, I’d slept, truly slept for the first time since I’d been abducted. Without the fear of someone killing me, it was odd as I t
ried to understand why, why I hadn’t been scared of Yasu killing me in my sleep. I was becoming too complacent I put it down to. Maybe in my loneliness I was beginning to trust, or want to trust others.

  That was something that I couldn’t do I chastised myself as I heard movement behind me. I turned to find awake and alert Yasu staring daggers at me.

  “Don’t worry I’m just taking a shower and getting dressed.” I said, not knowing why I was justifying myself.

  Her eyes seemed to get colder other than anything as she got out of bed wearing a towel her hair covering part of her face. I felt the odd urge to hold her; she looked so delicate, so strong and so appealing. I walked to the head instead taking a long shower delicately working around my still painful stomach wound. I studied it annoyed the med bay hadn’t fully healed me. I resolved me and Yasu needed to talk one on one and sort out whatever relationship we were in.

  “Yasu.” I said emerging from the head she turned to me as Taleel’s voice came through the walls.” Assemble in the squad pod.” The door we’d walked in through after the wedding ceremony opened again. Finally we just had one door to contest with.

  I sighed in frustration as I made my way to the door.

  “What were you saying?” Yasu said waiting for me.

  “We’ll talk about it later.” Along the way we met up with other members of our squad who joined our route which seemed to connect all of our couple pods.

  All of us with different emotions as we walked in with our partners and now team member.

  It varied from me and Yasu’s utter confusion at one another, to Hoi and Abella.

  Hoi had a large smile plastered on his face as he walked with Abella seemingly melted to him as she said things into his ear and a happy smile on her own face. When everyone was gathered Taleel spoke.

  “Alright now you’ve had your fun today you’ll be given your berths on the free planets defence force ships with your new partners.”

  “What about training with rifles? Strategy, zero-g training.”

  “You will learn to adapt on the battlefield or, not.” A chill went down my spine. It’s like we’re the Russians with one holding bullets, the other the rifle. If you survive then you might be useful.

  I stopped looking at anyone else in the room as all of my attention was now focused on Taleel.

  “You will be given spots on different classes of ships of the free planets navy which you will defend and live on until the end of your service or like me you re-enlist. I will now list your new berths and remember this, your commanders will have your kill switches, one wrong step and you will be killed whether inside a Mecha or in your bare skin. First, James and Yasu, you will be assigned to the Imperial Dreadnought Golden Refuge. Lucky you, she’s the only one of her class.”

  I was stunned, yesterday I was married; today I was being given a berth on a ship I knew nothing about, was being separated from my squad who I’d finally built up a reputation with and I didn’t feel I had barely enough training.

  “Look after yourselves and I hope to see you all soon.” I said with the mask of Salchar, my mind showing me how my plans had fallen apart as I gave a lazy two finger salute, the rest of them facing me as they returned the gesture.

  “Good luck commander Salchar.” Rick said “Now give me your data pad quickly.” I did so with a curious look as he tapped it to his and transferred something.

  “It’s a way to chat.” He said as he handed it back and put his own pad in the pouch on the small of his back.

  “I hope that I see you in the near future and I’ll give it a go.” With that I turned following Yasu already waiting near the hatch that would lead us to the dreadnought golden refuge. She took off again making me have to half jog to catch up with her. Not even giving me time to process what had happened as I ran into my future, back to nothing.

  Chapter the Golden Refuge.

  We came into a room with people steadily filling in twos. We stepped into the straight lines which showed ranks and columns of a formation. Quickly the room filled and I found my eyes wandering to the only wall that wasn’t covered with the silvery material that could form doors at will and found myself looking at a single large door and two glass windows, one which looked out into space the stars so much brighter without the interference of an atmosphere, the other window showed the business end of a shuttle from what I remembered of my sleep learning.

  “Begin boarding the shuttle, rear first.” A voice said, sounding bored, as if they were working at a fast food restaurant—as we followed the instructions. The large hatch opened revealing rows of seating the formation moving as people filled the shuttle. From my sleep-learning and my guesses I estimated that the shuttle carried two hundred people.

  I followed Yasu looking around as I picked out people I’d played against in the arena. The inside of the shuttle didn’t show anything of space outside as we strapped ourselves in as if we’d ridden shuttles a hundred times—thanks to our sleep training.

  Some people talked as they sat, saying how they were happy to not have training anymore and talking about how their marriage fights went, most of them even talked about how they wanted to become soldiers. I couldn’t say that I blamed them, the majority of the younger kids in my squad once I had told them to actually focus on learning had found military subjects easy and interesting, and they found soldiering fun. They liked being able to do what they could do. They wanted to be Taleel and the enforcers, able to run for hours without seeming out of breath or knowing everything there seemed to be on military knowledge. The Sarenmenti had become their idols and they clung to them. Their parents had been weak letting them go without a fight, or didn’t love them enough to save them. So they would be able to do what their parents couldn’t. In other squads it seemed that this was the accepted truth. I slumped unhappily in my harness as I continued to look around the shuttle’s inner bay.

  Others slapped others on the shoulders as they noticed people from their old squads or people they’d fought against before; making a little small talk before settling in their seats. Everyone was trying to find their bearings. They would come with time, but for now we were strangers.

  I caught the eye of a large man as he walked into the shuttle as he walked over to me becoming stiff.

  “Fair fight Salchar.”

  I felt all the eyes in the shuttle turn towards me as it became instantly quiet.

  “As Always…Henry.” I said in recognition and astonishment as I remembered Henry being the leader of the first squad I’d gone up against. I offered my hand which he grasped it with a grin.

  “Let me introduce Catherine.” An athletic built woman stood beside him her body language her eyes bright and nervous looking for threats.

  “You’re Salchar.” She said with an appraising look. I stood to put us on even footing.

  “The one and only.” I said with a winning smile offering her my hand.

  She took it. “Thought you’d be taller.” She looked as if she could kill everyone on this ship with her fists as she thought I was taller. The heck, I only played one game with them. Keeping my confusion off of my face as my voice worked.

  “Well definitely not as tall as Henry, no.” I grinned before gesturing to Yasu.

  “This is my… partner, Yasu.” I said waving to Yasu who stood with her own winning smile.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” Even as she smiled she was sizing the two up I could see. I stopped the grin I was feeling from reaching my lips.

  “Blade mistress from Samurais revenge?” Henry asked as she held his hand her eyes going cold.

  “Yes, I was known by those titles.”

  Henry burst out laughing stopping himself. “Well fate is a strange thing isn’t it.” He said patting me on the back as I grinned. I liked this man, he had the qualities of a good commander.

  “Didn’t know that she was in your squad. Isn’t she the one that attacked you?” Catherine asked, looking at Yasu as lights came on signalling the shuttle
was going to be releasing from the training complex.

  “Well let’s take a seat before we’re flying sans harness.” Henry said.

  “Good idea.” Catherine said giving Henry a look causing him to smile at the intended rebuke as he fell into the chair.

  “Excuse me, but you’re Salchar, the one that made the fair fight rules?” Someone asked seemingly having built up the courage to talk to me by being egged on by their newly found comrades.

  I looked to Henry who nodded slightly.

  “I guess I am I didn’t know how far my rules had gone. It’s good to meet you.” I said offering them a hand which they took not willing to get up from my seat for the second time.

  Questions filled the air as people even to the rear of the shuttle began yelling questions. Just who knew of me and my rules? I sat there a smile on my face answering a select few as I hoped I could use this to bring them together into one unit as I had with my squad.