Payback Is A Bitch

by Michael Anderle

  “Right Bethany Anne.” He sat down at the end of the bed. Bethany Anne was already in the position best for delivery. “Do we know if TOM is doing ok?”

  TOM?

  Just…fine… TOM got out. Actually, the less I have to speak at the moment, the better. This shit hurts.

  “Bitching like normal. He’ll let me know if we are hurting him too much,” she answered.

  “Well, if we have to use sharp instruments I’ll let you know first.”

  Ohhhh, fuuuuddgee, TOM replied. I’m practicing reducing my bad words.

  Good on you… I’ll fucking try LATER! Bethany Anne sent as another round of pain hit her. GOD! Why do women do this more than once?

  I understand they forget. I’ll help you remember, he grunted.

  “Michael…” Bethany Anne heard the tiny snap of a bone as she worked to release the pressure on his hand. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Michael replied. She glanced up; he truly wasn’t paying attention, but was peeking over the small curtain she couldn’t see past.

  “Now,” Dr. Dizon spoke in a soothing voice, “I don’t want you to squeeze. We don’t know your strength. Let’s see if we can do this… Actually…” he looked at Michael, “I need you to clean your hands lots of times. Should have been done already.”

  Michael released Bethany Anne’s hands and stepped over to the sink to wash.

  The doctor looked at Bethany Anne, who was looking from Michael to him. “Sorry, but I might need his strength and, uh…” he blushed, looking down and then back to her eyes, “you’ve already broken his hand twice.”

  A moment later he switched places with Michael, who looked at Bethany Anne’s face with a smirk.

  She laid back and looked up at the ceiling. “Seriously?”

  Five minutes later, while Bethany Anne squeezed a metal rod Michael helped deliver his daughter, her initial shriek piercing the quiet of the room.

  Michael’s eyes narrowed. “Uh oh…”

  Bethany Anne, stomach clenched, hissed in pain.

  Goptek Major, Principal Spaceport

  Addix had ditched her robe, figuring it was better to be seen in armor than a robe with blood soaking it. She used it to wipe off her face first.

  When she reached the spaceport she did not have to go through the consumer passenger section, but rather the entrance the ship owners used.

  She walked up to the gate, her body on full display, which was unusual for an Ixtali. Most species preferred to believe Ixtalis only had two legs.

  Now all four were on display, with knives and guns locked down. She nodded to the gate guard, who accepted her credentials.

  “Looks like you got into a little altercation,” the guard mentioned, his eyes going to the screen and back to her. He looked around before wiping an area on his cheek that was already clean.

  Addix reached up, and wiped, her hand coming away with blood. “Thank you.”

  He handed her credentials back and leaned toward her. “I don’t like Shrillexians anyway.” He nodded. “Although, if you did have anything to do with that, the cops are looking.” He pointed up. “I’d probably get airborne before they decide to put out a lockdown.” He glanced at an area on his screen before punching a button. “I’m on break, so you probably have fifteen minutes before I could rush out to location TH-QQ anyway.” He smiled. “And let me tell you, four legs is hot.” He grinned as he walked away into the night whistling.

  Addix didn’t waste any time, but allowed her four legs to carry her towards The Lady Princess at a good pace, although it didn’t look like she was rushing.

  She smirked.

  Her location was on the other side of the tarmac from TH-QQ. Twelve minutes later, The Lady Princess had risen from the pad and darted into the sky.

  When the guard reached his post fifteen minutes later, an All-Points Bulletin had been sent out demanding all personal and corporate craft stay on the tarmac until otherwise notified.

  21

  Above High Tortuga, Bridge of the ArchAngel II

  “One thousand seven hundred and twelve missiles inbound,” ArchAngel’s voice announced on the bridge. “But they have made a tactical mistake.”

  Her face reappeared. “I am sending the information to Bethany Anne.”

  High Tortuga, On all Entertainment Screens Across the Planet

  It didn’t matter if the station was devoted to news, music, entertainment, or business, all video screens switched to an unexpected video feed. Frantically, stations across the planet worked to understand how their feeds had been co-opted.

  Slowly people across the world stopped as the dark face caught their attention. Her white hair framed her face and the pupils of her eyes blazing red. “My name is Baba Yaga.” Her voice, soft in volume but raspy in nature, pulled in the viewers. “This planet is under attack right now. As many are aware, I am the one responsible for the recent changes in the business, political, and economic climate. What no one knew until today is that my people and I have accepted responsibility for the defense of this planet.”

  The video switched to a view of space. “Right now, we are preparing a defensive network of protective satellites to repel an attack. We thought it better to share this information before the strike occurs, rather than explain it after the fact.

  “Do not look up. While it should not hurt most corneas or eyestalks, it could. Please exercise appropriate caution.”

  The black face reappeared. “I am Baba Yaga. No one attacks my planet and lives.”

  On a superdreadnought far out in space, a man nodded to the face on the screen. A signal was sent, and seven thousand beams of light pierced the darkness…and for a brief moment outshone the sun.

  One thousand, seven hundred and twelve missiles detonated within five seconds of each other, filling the sky with flashes of brilliance.

  Seconds later three hundred and twelve ships uncloaked within striking distance of the pirate ships, which were already turning to attack.

  All but three were torn apart as high-velocity kinetic weapons smashed into them, cracking them at the seams, bursting the energy containment fields in their engines, and opening their ships to vacuum.

  Seventy-six escape pods were collected and the three remaining ships cut their engines, allowing themselves to be boarded three hours later under the massive guns that pointed at them.

  On the world below, people screamed in jubilation.

  Devon—now High Tortuga—had a protector, and she didn’t mess around. Twelve weeks later the remaining pirates were tried and sentenced to hard labor on the Southern Continent.

  Above High Tortuga, Bridge of the ArchAngel II

  Admiral Thomas eyed the black-skinned visage on the screen in front of him. “Do you think you might switch back, ArchAngel?” he requested.

  Moments later, Bethany Anne’s face stared back at him. “How did I do?” the EI asked. “I tried to get hold of Bethany Anne, but she is having babies at the moment and told me to deal with it.”

  “Well,” Thomas grumped, “I might have peed a little in my pants.”

  Everyone on the bridge around him chuckled.

  “You say she is having babies?” Thomas asked.

  “Yes,”

  “Well, out with it, girl! What did she have?” he demanded, sending the commands to route this conversation to all ships.

  “As of one minute and twelve seconds ago, Queen Bethany Anne and her fiancé Michael Nacht are the proud parents of twins, a boy and a girl.”

  The screams of joy were heard on ships throughout the system. The pirates were afraid for their lives, having no idea why their captors were so happy.

  High Tortuga, Space Fleet Base, Medical Bay

  Dr. Dizon laid the second child on Bethany Anne’s chest, both of them resting peacefully. Michael was standing next to her playing with her hair as she looked down at the two blond heads beneath her chin.

  When she had met this man almost two hundred years before she had been dyi
ng and would never have children, but now she had just birthed two little bundles of joy.

  “Michael,” she whispered, reaching up to play with her daughter’s hair, “I’m not going to ask you to stay back.”

  “Stay back from what?” he asked. His hand rested on their backs. They were so small, he thought.

  “I’ve been informed that Addix was successful,” she answered. “And we have a target.”

  She smirked. She didn’t have to look at her man to know that his eyes had just gone black. “One of us has to stay here, and it needs to be me this time,” she continued. She looked up at him, her eyes flashing red. “But someone just tried to send missiles down on our family.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” he replied, his voice malevolent. “Payback will be a bitch.”

  “Good,” she murmured, yawning. “I expect you to be back in time to help change diapers.”

  Michael chuckled. “Who do I need to speak with?”

  “Liaise with Admiral Thomas for transportation, but I suspect you won’t go alone.”

  “No.” Michael chuckled. “I won’t stop them if they want to come along.”

  “Good,” she whispered. “They are good people.”

  “I’m curious.” Michael grabbed her hand. “Why didn’t we know we were having twins?”

  “It seems,” she answered, “that since ‘Dr. TOM’ was on the job I didn’t need to come in for any checkups, and since we didn’t want to know the sex he thought it would be the same answer for wanting to know how many. About the kicks and everything else, he lied, telling me he needed room. It was his version of a gift.”

  “It was a surprise,” Michael agreed, “I’ll grant you that. What’s he doing now?”

  Bethany Anne stifled a second yawn. “Sleeping.”

  He leaned over, kissing her on her forehead. “Protect them. I will be back.”

  “With my life,” she answered.

  High Tortuga, Space Fleet Base, Starships Hangar 003

  Michael had taken fifteen minutes to shower, armor up, and grab his go-bag. As he walked through the halls toward the hangar, he accepted the congratulations on his new family with happy smiles. A few of those in the hallway knew where he was going, though.

  “Send them to hell, sir,” he heard many times.

  Those who knew Bethany Anne loved her. Those who didn’t usually feared her. Rarely were individuals neutral about her unless they had no clue.

  Michael however, was an anomaly to most. They knew he was her fiancé, but otherwise they’d only heard rumors.

  The last set of doors opened and he walked into the starship hangar, where the Executive Pod was waiting to take him and anyone else who showed up to the ArchAngel II.

  Michael didn’t speak, just nodded to John Grimes, Eric, Darryl, Scott, Akio, Gabrielle, Eve, Peter, and Tabitha.

  “Barnabas is on an operation off-planet or he would be here.” Stephen shook his hand. “I’ll take care of everything administrative while you are gone and help keep her in bed.”

  Michael shook his hand. “Thank you, brother. She will need the time to bond with the children.”

  “What are their names?” Stephen asked.

  Michael shrugged, “We’ve spoken about many. I’ve told her my preferences, but this came up. I’m happy with whatever she picks, so long as it isn’t ‘Michael.’” He chuckled. “Or any of yours.” He looked around. “No offense.”

  There were many chuckles. “None taken,” Stephen replied. “Burn the ground.”

  “And sow it with salt,” Michael finished the old phrase. He drew Stephen into a hug.

  They all boarded the Executive Pod, which slowly lifted five feet on its antigravity engines before turning one-hundred and eighty degrees and sweeping out of the hangar bay. It stayed under cliffs, hidden from satellites above for a few miles before streaking into the sky.

  John sat next to Michael, who was quiet. “Sucks leaving them behind.” His gruff voice pulled Michael out of his thoughts.

  Michael sat back in his chair. “You know, before Bethany Anne came into my life I intended to suicide. I was done.” He pursed his lips. “She was my gift to the world, a new parent, if you will, who was going to set things straight. I had made many mistakes in my life, and I figured it needed a woman’s hand to set it right.”

  “What stopped you from choosing suicide?”

  Michael snorted. “Being trapped and almost torn apart by David. It wasn’t until Bethany Anne came to free me that I’d had someone look for me in over two hundred years. It was at that moment, as she pulled me out of the Etheric, that I understood love,” he lifted his hand, two fingers a centimeter apart, “this much again.”

  “Enough to suicide to save the base,” John supplied.

  “For her? Yes,” Michael agreed, turning to him. “I had made a promise on my honor to do whatever it took to protect the base.” He shook head his head a tiny amount. “I would not fail.” He chuckled. “Except for that being-ripped-apart-into-constituent-atoms thing.”

  “Did that hurt?” John asked. “I’ve been curious ever since we knew you survived.

  “I couldn’t remember at first.” Michael looked ahead, his eyes unfocused. “The pain had caused me to hide it away and let my subconscious deal with it.” His lip curled just a bit. “I finally remembered the excruciating pain, and let me tell you…I’d rather not go through it ever again.”

  Michael turned to look John in the eyes. “What happened to Bethany Anne?”

  John’s eyes narrowed in thought. “How so?”

  “When I left, she was adamant about me becoming less violent, but now she doesn’t blink. I’m not criticizing, but she has changed.”

  “I can tell you.” Gabrielle spoke from behind Michael and John.

  Gabrielle was Stephen’s daughter, turned centuries before into a vampire and upgraded by Bethany Anne. She was the leader of the Queen’s Bitches.

  “I’m listening, Gabrielle,” Michael responded.

  “After your disappearance, she went on a spree of violence. There was no stone she didn’t turn to figure out who was even tangentially involved in the attack that killed you.” Gabrielle snorted. “Okay, didn’t kill you, but killed you. Semantics aside, Barnabas had to work with her to make sure she didn’t go overboard because of her grief. Later she kept fighting for the right people to have options, and the governments wanted her technology.”

  “I’m sure they asked nicely.” Michael smiled.

  “Not by a fucking long shot,” Gabrielle admitted. “So she kicked their asses with her size-sevens until we ran into the Yollins checking Earth out for an invasion.”

  Michael shook his head. “I missed so much.”

  Eve spoke up from two seats back in the opposing row. “Well, only the atomic destruction of the world and the rebuilding of a lot of society on Earth. I can’t really suggest that you missed anything there.”

  “How many interplanetary wars have we been in since we hit Yollin space?” Michael turned to the big black ex-special forces man who had been with Bethany Anne since before Michael had been found the first time.

  “Well, there were the Yollins,” Darryl answered, “the Karillians or Yarees, and the Leath, plus a lot of smaller events.”

  “The Yaree were the Leath,” Scott corrected.

  “I tend to think of it as Yaree world and Leath world,” Darryl clarified.

  “You’d have to think of the Yollins as a two-parter too,” John supplied. “The first one was King Yoll, and Bethany Anne had to straighten out the holdovers who didn’t appreciate her version of the emancipation proclamation against their caste system.”

  “That went on for a while,” Gabrielle agreed.

  Tabitha spoke up from the back, where she was sitting next to Peter. “I’d add the Federation as another.”

  Michael looked over his shoulder and spoke a touch louder. “The Federation?”

  “It’s been more of a war of words, politics, and countermoves am
ong the systems,” Tabitha clarified. “She got her dad involved in more ways than one, and has had to stay in the background, only showing herself to scare some of the other polities.”

  “So,” John brought it back around to this present operation, “I understand we have a lead on who has been attacking us. We’re gonna do…what?”

  “Kill them,” Michael answered.

  Planet Soboth (Previously Territory 7732), Undisclosed location, Open Out-ring, Non-Federation

  Az looked at his private tablet for the fifth time. He’d had one text to tell him missiles had been fired.

  And one more that had stopped mid-send. “Target is res…”

  “Res” what?

  With no specific information he had to assume the worst, however unlikely that was. No one took out over a thousand missiles and a hundred and twelve ships except the large governments with their massive fleets. No one, not on some backward little forgotten company planet, was going to overcome the number of ships he had pulled together.

  Stretching his favors, he had called in everyone. One last hurrah to take over the planet.

  Now no word was coming back through the transponder systems they used for talking between systems. Even if the messages had been caught up in queues at one of the stations, he should have received one by now.

  Az needed to consider if he wanted to show up at the conglomerate’s headquarters and act like the CEO he was or stay hidden. If he went there his location would shield him from a major attack, since no one would attack Adolphin.

  He nodded once and leaning forward, he stabbed a button. “Uleq?”

  “Sir?” The Torcellan’s voice came back immediately.

  “I’m going to head out to Adolphin. I need to do a flag visit, remind them that the big guy comes in and works in the big office.”

  “You want us to stay here or travel with you?”

  Az hesitated. “What do you want to do?” he asked, seeing Uleq shrugging his shoulders in his mind’s eye. The Torcellan was a soft spineless sponge. Az rolled his eyes before Uleq got back to him.