He met them a few more times and each time, they made more sense, so he did what they’d asked, believing it to be the right thing for all of them. Then Cesca had started to look into things and it became clear she was homing in on him and his time was up. He’d tried to cover his tracks into town with mis information on his reports. He knew he was in trouble. He’d planned to take her with him. Let her see the better life for herself. He thought it would persuade her and her father, that working for the soldiers was better than living in caves and fighting them. He said the knife was to subdue her but Cesca wasn’t going to go quietly and it had all gone wrong.
Lastly, he told them he wasn’t alone in his thinking. He confirmed there were a few others in his group, that had been meeting with some of their friends. Friends who’d gone over to the other side but he insisted none of them, had gone as far as him. He was convinced he was doing the right thing, trying to make life better for all of them. Hawk sensed the male was full of remorse and shame. He knew his people were unlikely to forgive the betrayal but he’d done it anyway.
Hawk withdrew and waited outside for Romero. “It could have been worse.” Hawk told him. Romero agreed.
“How are you going to approach the soldiers?”
“Head on with overwhelming numbers.” Hawk told him grinning. Romero slapped him on the back.
“Sounds like a good plan to me. Let’s go.”
***
Hawk spent the next hour putting a mission plan together. The civilian group leaders arrived, and introductions were made. Once they’d moved passed their shock and surprise and the ‘getting to know you’ bit, things moved on a pace. They went over the plans of the original town with Romero, along with the changes the soldiers had put in since they’d all left and the intervening years. The mining lay out looked to be the same, the compound near it new. Romero’s people had the layout of that. Prisoners/workers were in several different places. Housing for the soldiers were in the colonist’s old homes and some new ones. There were females in some of those houses and likely children too.
D923 stood with him as he looked at the vid screen. “We’re going to have to use the element of surprise, that means a simultaneous attack. You and your men, take the mining area and the compound, come in from both sides. We’ll take the town from these four corners and land a welcome party in this area in the middle of town to keep them busy, if they realise we’re there. If not, we’ll move on the command centre and sweep in towards that area. Be aware, some of the females are there of their own free will, others aren’t. Their loyalties, could be tested and they won’t be expecting us. They will not see us as friendlies and could fight back.” He reminded him. “No deadly force, unless life is threatened.” D923 gave him a nod.
“You need to have some of my people in each of your teams. Get to know their names, their family’s names. If confronted with our people, using our people here, will persuade them you’re on their side.” Romero told them. Hawk agreed. He nodded to D923.
“23:00hrs, we are a go. Romero, give us 40 of your people, we’ll split them up between us.”
Hawk had left the meeting feeling the need to be with Cesca. He wanted this started before she woke up. He was in no doubt, she would want to go and lead her team, be front and centre in all the danger. He wasn’t having that. She’d been far too damaged before. His chest clenched. He would put a stop to the danger to her and if that meant he had to be the bringer of war to this world, then so be it. He looked down on the med bed one last time. The read out told him she would be under for another three hours. That both comforted him and even with his emotions turned off, it still upset him at the same time. She should never have had this life. He looked up at the two guards D923 had given her.
“Guard her with your life, or I will take yours,” he told them and meant every word. Then turned and left her, moving passed her father in the doorway, to wage war for his mate’s survival.
Chapter Five
Franny dreamed. She’d never felt so calm, so at peace. All those niggling problems throughout her body, were simply gone. Did heaven have such peace? Was she dead? Crossed her mind. Her people weren’t religious in the traditional sense but they all used the old terms, they still held the same meanings and when needed, they prayed to a higher being for guidance and support.
She couldn’t describe just how good she felt. She’d never dreamed of being so at peace before this. Her life wasn’t peaceful. It was hard and painful. Her mind told her ‘no’, she wasn’t dead, simply in a healing sleep, the machine doing its job.
Her mind centred and images of Hawk played across it. He’d been kind and thoughtful, made promises she hoped he kept. He had brought this to her world, offered it to her freely without demand.
Franny marvelled at how wonderful that was, as she drifted …. to be in no more pain….
***
Hawk stood on the ramp as the countdown continued. His men stood around him ready to deploy. It had been dark for many hours and their ships engines ran silently. D923’s off-worlders didn’t. They were quiet but not completely. It was one of the reasons Hawk had dispatched his group to the mining area and encampment around it. He also sent one of the community leaders with him. Hawk was still unsure of D923 and his men’s ability to see friend from foe. The civilian leader would help with that. She was also female and single and Hawk was sure he saw some interest on D923’s face. The area was more isolated, and it was likely the mine would be active and making its own noise. He gave the signal, and all groups deployed. Hawk gave a moment to think of Cesca. It was the first time he’d gone into battle with someone who lived for him.
He realised he needed to fully embrace that right now. He needed every edge to do this as peacefully as possible. They could walk in a destroy it all but that wasn’t going to help these people and Cesca would be pissed at him. Hawk smiled. He liked the sound of that, make up sex he’d been told was the best. He reached for his internal mechanism and turned on his emotions.
Intense unbearable pain assaulted him. Hawk leaned on the side of his ship for support. He couldn’t breathe. Mac had warned him and now, he understood why. He rode out the wave, trying for calm. All his emotions came back on line with a vengeance and flooded him. All the anxiety and worry he’d supressed, all the need and dominant procession. He had to save his mate! Screamed across his brain. His skin fired with his need from head to foot and he was instantly rock hard and his balls swelled with seed. A sheen of sweat broke out across his skin. Hawk tasted his emotions and scented them in the air around him. He knew the other Cyborgs with him would too and that was ok with him. There would be no doubt who Cesca belonged to. Hawk waited for his systems to filter the emotions as his landing site came into view. He could almost feel his nano’s doing overtime to stabilise his emotions.
Off-worlder after off-worlder, descended on the town. Hawk’s optic, displayed the deployment as he moved into position for his own drop. Simultaneously, each group dropped to the ground into their positions and moved in. Hawk moved with a greater determination, getting up dates from each group as he led his own into position. They would take the soldiers headquarters first, then clear the immediate area, enemy combatants were to be held in the headquarters once it was clear. Guards and defensive positions had already been laid out. If would give them time for the other groups to do what they needed to.
His people moved into the shadows. Silently. Years of training instilled in them, could make them invisible, they made no noise. With hearing and eyesight ranges beyond that of humans, they were able to pick up on every movement around them. Using their neuro net, allowed them to communicate unheard. They were the perfect killing machines, able to take serious damage before they were compromised. Blowing them up was the only sure-fire way, of disabling them. Their enemy this day was soldiers, Hawk knew they might have this knowledge, might know what they are, if fire power get heavy fast then civilian causalities would be heavy too and that was unacceptable. They needed a su
rprise attack.
Isolate and disable. He sent to his men.
Affirmative.
Hawk moved forward towards what he knew was the soldier’s Headquarters. Their command centre. The plans he’d seen earlier, appeared to still be correct. The layout of the town was unchanged. No new walls to block people in, no new defences. Sloppy, thought Hawk. They were either over confident or didn’t believe the civilians a real enemy and clearly, had no respect for them. That was a mistake, thought Hawk, it grated on him. The civilian army had been well trained and well led. From his assessment of the reports, it was only resources that had prevented the civilians from winning years ago. What he’d seen told him the civilians were a dam good army.
A ping told him all his men were in position. Computer, relay to D923 and all warriors. We are a go. Move in.
Hawk watched from the darkness, as his men moved forward and took out the guards around the control centre and silently disabled them. He moved forward over the wall and headed for the largest building. He didn’t need to look to see if his men were with him, he knew they were. Regular reports of their actions flooded across his optic updating him.
All the perimeter guards were down. Before someone missed a check-in they moved. What had once been the communities meeting house, was now the command centre for the soldiers. His men took care of the two guards outside the main doors. Then moved in quietly disabling anyone they came across. They were all heavily armed, Hawk picked up a rifle, it was old, looked original but well maintained. He was in no doubt it would work just fine. He’d seen the evidence on Cesca’s body. Hawks chest clenched. His anger never far from the surface now. Noise to the left told him men were in those offices. He was reminded how loud humans were, he had over 30 men with him and the only noise, came from the humans.
A door opened ahead of them and a conversation was continuing as the male came out. Hawks second took him down, as Hawk moved into the room with his men, cutting the lights and taking care of the rest. Not a shot fired, not a sound made. Cyborgs moved quicker than humans. Disabled and tied up, they moved on. Room by room. The ground floor was cleared very quickly. His optic told him that the immediate area around the command centre had also been cleared and prisoners were being brought in. In his briefing, Hawk had been told, what was once the basement of the community house, was now, cell rooms. Over his neuro net, Hawk dispatched a team to clear it out and bring prisoners found there, up to ground level and until verified who they were to secure them.
As the group peeled off, Hawk took the stairs. The upper level, was the Commanders offices and accommodation. Hawk had been warned, the Commander had taken a ‘wife’ some 10 years after arriving, he now had three children. The older two, lived in their own homes, with their own families near the compound. The wife and the younger one, still lived with him. As Hawk approached the top of the stairs, he heard sounds coming from the two offices in front. A small waiting area was at the top of the stairs. Behind the two main offices were the living accommodations. Hawk moved into the shadows in the waiting area, his men falling in behind him. They split into two groups and moved on the offices.
As Hawk entered one of them, there was no missing the shock on the faces of the two men on guard as they looked over, his men and the weapons they held. Hawk put a finger to his lips and smiled, while indicating with his weapon ‘ hands up’. A large part of Hawk wanted to kill everyone he found, they’d hurt is mate and he wanted retribution. To his disappointment, both men put up their hands slowly.
Hawks men surrounded them and removed them from behind the desks, disabled them. Leaving a guard, he moved out quickly and joined with his other team having already disabled the other office. They moved down the main hall way, to the commanders accommodations.
Hawk tried the lock. Unlike the offices, this door was locked. Hawk turned to his second. Open it.
Hawk stood back as his man pulled the tools from his pocket and worked the lock. A click, told them he was in. His second smirked at him. Too easy, he told him over his net. Hawk shook his head. His men were having too much fun.
Clear each room we come too. Isolate the female and child, ensure they remain sleeping if possible. I’ll be taking the Commander for a chat into one of the offices.
The door was pushed open by his second. It was lifted slightly so as not to make any noise, just in case the hinges weren’t well cared for. The open area had once been a reception area, it was now their home. Hawk was greeted with a neat lounge area and a small kitchen to one side at the back. A corridor next to it, appeared to lead further back to the bedrooms and bathroom. The lounge was clear. They moved forward slowly. Hawk received the intel on the first bedroom, a male was sleeping, Hawk estimated his age to be around late 20s. Weapons were removed, and the door was closed, a guard posted. The second door was opened, and an older female was sleeping, she looked to be in her 60s.
The door was closed, and a guard posted. The female had no weapons. They moved to the last doorway and pushed it open slowly. An aging male was sleeping in a chair. Hawk estimated him to be in his late 70s early 80s. He found it strange that a male so old was still running this community. Locate the elder son. Approach with caution, isolate him and bring him here.
Hawk knelt before the soldier and tapped him on the knee. His men stood behind him. The male became agitated at being disturbed, swore and said unless it was urgent, he would kill her, then opened his eyes. The male took a moment to register it wasn’t his wife in front of him. Hawk could tell by his expressions, that he was having problems identifying their shapes with what he knew. “Lights.” Hawk told his men. The lights came on and his optic adjusted immediately. The male however, needed a moment longer.
Hawk watched the emotions cross the older man’s face. He realised Hawk and his men weren’t his. Concern and a touch of fear fleeted across this face, then he registered who they were, and he broke out in a smile.
“You took your fucking time getting here.” He told them loudly, jovially, looking them over. “I’ve managed to subdue the colony and secure the ore. We have skirmishes on going with the colonist rebels but we’re working on that, we have people inside their networks, its on the verge of collapse. It’s dam good to see you.”
Hawk nodded. “Report.” The male did. Gave his name, rank and number, then the complete run down of his operation. It took a while, eventually Hawk heard movement coming from the other two bedrooms. The male had woken his family. He could hear the shock in their voices and the words his men were telling them.
“So Commander, how have you managed here for so long without support?” He asked.
The male shrugged, “how do you think, the old ways are the best ways. Infiltrate and assimilate, we took what we wanted, did what we needed to do to make the mission a success. I want of this god forsaken rock before I die here. I want to see my family back home. My wife and kids probably think I’m dead. Fucking Earth Corp have a lot to answer for.”
Hawk frowned. “I thought you were married here with children?” The old man didn’t catch on that Hawk shouldn’t know that if he’d come straight here from his ship. “Are you kidding me boy, I was stuck on this rock with nothing to fuck, I was sick and tired of sharing with the men, the women had no life in them, what else was I to do? A man’s got to have something to fuck. This is not my family, this was having no choice and making do with what was available.”
Hawk heard the intake of breath and so did the male. Hawk stood and turned to the female and young male in the door way. “You heard the truth from his own lips. I am sorry.” The female started weeping. The young male looked angry and disgusted at his father, he turned and comforted his mother walking away. Hawk could understand that. It must be a bitter blow to know the male who’d been his father, didn’t consider him really his son or their female, really his wife.
His men led the female and male into the lounge area. Hawk turned his attention back to the older male. “Causalities?” Hawk asked.
The
male showed no emotion on seeing his wife and child walk away. “Several, it’s all in my reports. I’ll give you access. I came here with a troop of 159 men. From those originals, I’m down to 62. Second generation make up the rest, 98 off-spring fill the ranks and a few civilians we’ve pulled in.”
Hawk nodded. ”Confirm your original orders?”
“Supress the civilians into reneging on their contract. Gain control of the colony and the ore, prepare for re-location of said civilians, if they are not willing to mine for the company. Take whatever action is required to ensure compliance. Secure the ore at all costs.”
“What went wrong?” Hawk asked.
“Bloody civilians wouldn’t work for us willingly. Weren’t interested in working their passage off this rock. Gave us headaches we didn’t need. The leaders were dead set against us, refused to work with us. At first, we let it go thinking the ship would be back on schedule in the next rotation, but it never came. So, we kept our heads down, made friends and kept a lid on things. The following year, the ship failed to turn up again. Communications with Earth Corp were only possible via Ship relay. No ship, no relay. I ordered the men to start mixing more with the civilians, get to know them, get restaurants and bars back in business. Some started forming relationships and getting along.
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