Yours to Command

by Shona Husk

  When she turned Lieutenant Zane was standing far too close. He leaned against the wall beside her, as if they were having a casual chat. As if he was trying to make it appear that something was going on between them.

  “Sienna.” He reached toward her and she flinched back. “I’m trying to save your reputation. You should say thank you.”

  “My reputation is fine, Sir.”

  “If you keep seeing that con, he won’t be.” Zane’s brown eyes were cold like mud.

  For a moment Sienna wished she had something to stab him with. “Is that a threat, Sir?”

  “A friendly warning.”

  There was nothing friendly about it. “Why do you care what I do?”

  “I keep watch on all my staff. You especially, as I know how you’re prone to making trouble and lying.” He grinned, all teeth, like a shark.

  And you are prone to attempting murder. “My record is as clean as yours.”

  “Think about it, Corporal. His blood will be on your hands.” He moved smoothly away.

  Sienna’s fingernails dug into her palms. She wanted Zane’s blood on her hands. He was going to be a cancer on the colony. Until her service with the Army was over he would make her life toxic—unless she could get the changeover to the Army Medical Corps. But Zane had a say in that, and he wouldn’t let her escape that easily.

  And if she kept seeing Alex, he would be the one to suffer. Zane had found a way to make her obey.

  Alex had missed several classes. Officer Lopez stopped him at the classroom door. The guards who had escorted the prisoners up waited.

  “Where have you been?”

  “I got stabbed.” Alex pulled aside his shirt and singlet. The wound was very unimpressive, but he knew the internal damage was serious. He’d been told no running or fighting for several weeks. He was more than happy to give up the fighting. He wasn’t happy about the gym, but he was constraining himself to walking for now.

  “Fighting in the Rounds and now getting stabbed. Are you sure you want to be in these classes, 1789?”

  “Yes, Sir. I got stabbed in the Rounds.”

  “You seem to attract trouble.”

  Alex sighed. This was exactly what he didn’t want. “Only since I was ordered to fight.” He looked at the officer, a young man who no doubt had faith in the system. “How do I say no to an officer, Sir?” Alex plucked at his yellow shirt to reinforce his position on the ship. Sometimes age and experience counted for nothing.

  “Who asked you to fight?”

  “I don’t want to say, Sir.”

  “Because you think you’ll get in more trouble?”

  Alex nodded.

  Officer Lopez smiled as if happy with the response, then dismissed the guards. Once they had left, Lopez leaned in. “You will tell me or you won’t go in to class. You will sit here until they come back for you.”

  Alex swallowed. He wanted to be part of the Engineering Corps, and pissing Lopez off wouldn’t win him any friends. On the other hand, if Zane found out he’d told, he’d make life hell for Sienna. “I don’t want repercussions. I’m seeing one of the guards.”

  Lopez raised both eyebrows and gave him another long glance. “Aren’t you the over-achiever. Who?”

  It didn’t matter that Zane had failed. Sienna was going to kill him. “Infantry Medic Corporal Jade.”

  “I’m guessing the officer will make Jade’s life hard.”

  Alex nodded. “Sir, it’s her commanding officer. Lieutenant Zane.”

  Lopez grunted. “Leave it with me. You have a lot to catch up on. I hope you like homework.” He stepped aside to let Alex into the classroom.

  Alex was sure he’d just broken several unspoken rules. But maybe Lopez could help. No one else seemed to be able to, and there were still nine months of the trip before they even reached Solitaire. He couldn’t live in fear of retaliation for all that time, and he didn’t want Sienna to be under Zane’s thumb either. Someone had to stop the man.

  Chapter Seven

  Two days later, Alex was told to gather all of his things as he wouldn’t be coming back to D zone. His heart lurched. He’d been planning on seeing Sienna later, but he couldn’t say that. Was that why they were moving him? He doubted the guard assigned to supervise the move would know, but no information was volunteered about his relocation. For all he knew it was to somewhere no one would ever find him again. He just hoped this was Lopez’s doing, not Zane’s.

  The prison guard waited as he placed his clothing, toiletries and books into a bag, then he was taken through to C zone—but not to the classrooms he was used to. Instead, he ended up in a lower level that seemed to be made up of accommodation.

  Lopez was there, along with 1168, the dam engineer.

  “New room. Remember the number.” Lopez jerked his thumb at the number on the door.

  “This is your new home until we land. You’ve both been seconded to the Engineering Corps. One fuck-up and you’re back to D zone. Clear?”

  “Clear, Sir,” both prisoners said.

  “You’re still cons, but senior cons.” Lopez smiled. “You report to me—no one else.” He looked pointedly at Alex. “If anyone tries to say otherwise please ask them to speak with Colonel Everett.”

  Alex nodded. Everett was running the Field Engineers. And more importantly, he outranked Lieutenant Zane.

  Lopez handed him three patches. “For your uniforms. Get them sewn on so I can inspect them tomorrow. The changes have been made to your file already.”

  How was he going to get the patches sewn on? He looked at them again. He’d made it into the Engineering Corps. He might still be a con, but he was out of the prison. He closed his eyes. He was in the same zone as Sienna.

  While he might be on a spaceship, for a moment he felt as though the sun had broken through the heavy smog clouds on Earth, and was shining on his life. A rare golden day.

  “I don’t like to see grown men cry, or fall to their knees in gratitude, so stow your stuff and get to class.” He stopped Alex before he could enter the room. “You almost didn’t make it across because of your time in the Rounds. Getting stabbed helped your case, but all eyes are on you. You so much as make a fist, and …” Lopez made a slicing gesture across his neck.

  They still thought he was trouble. Zane had come very close to taking away the one thing he wanted most … at least, until he’d met Sienna. Now he just had to keep a hold on her. “Got it, Sir. I appreciate it, Sir.”

  “Just fucking stow your shit and prove you have the brains to be here. It ain’t going to be a picnic on Solitaire no matter where you live,” said Lopez, like a man who’d never been worried that the roof over his head was going to come down with the next storm.

  After a day of classes, and getting lost twice, Alex finally got to enjoy his new room. It was just like Sienna’s. Two beds, a small desk and a bathroom with a door. How many other empty modules were there on the ship? Or were they slowly being emptied, having originally been used for storage. That was probably more like it. Twelve months of food took up a lot of space.

  But he realized they had probably planned to create prison foremen. The classes were a way for them to work out who was going to be useful and who was going to be trouble. He was thankful with every breath that he’d made it across.

  He lay down on his bed and stared at the ceiling, even though he knew he should be studying. He had work to catch up on. Then there were the patches to sew on. A small sewing kit had been issued to him and he received a piece of fresh fruit every fifth day. A promotion, a payrise and a better room. Would they still lock him in at night?

  The wound on his chest itched as it healed. He wanted to see Sienna, but he hadn’t noted her room number—he’d been rather sidetracked at the time. Would she know that he’d been moved? What was the point of having this if he couldn’t share it with her?

  His heart hammered, but he knew the answer. It was important to him because it was part of his plan. Sienna had never been part of his plan,
but he wanted her to be. And he had no idea how to get a message to her.

  A message flashed on Sienna’s portacomp. Lieutenant Zane wanted to see her in his office. Shit. What had she done wrong this time? But she suspected it wasn’t about her. Had Zane realized that Alex had been moved? When he hadn’t come in to see her, she’d checked his file to make sure the stitches hadn’t ruptured and that there hadn’t been another attempt to kill him. The truth had shocked her. The relocation had happened fast, and she wondered what was going on.

  The door to Zane’s office was open when she got there, and the other desk was vacant. Zane sat behind his desk, studying his portacomp. There were some papers on his desk. He looked less than thrilled, but then, he generally looked like he was annoyed with the world for underperforming.

  “Shut the door, Corporal.”

  “Sir.” She closed the door, dread swelling in her gut and making her wish she hadn’t eaten dinner.

  “I see you’ve put in a request for three months work at the hospital.”

  “Yes, Sir. I need it as part of my training.” He knew that—it was all on the form. She held her breath. The training was the first step toward changing over. There was a big difference between being a medic and doctor.

  “Hmm. I can see that you are studying. Looks like you’ve been making full use of the classes on offer. Are you planning on becoming a doctor or something?” He almost laughed as he spoke.

  “That would be my hope, Sir. Unity will need—”

  “I don’t care what you think Unity will need. You’re a slum dweller trying to get a free education out of this trip. News flash, Corporal. This expedition isn’t here to further your career. Your request for on-the-job training is denied. Remember who you are and where you’re from.”

  Rage and shame bubbled up. She was more than the place she’d been born. How could a prick like Zane be in charge of her future? Her training had been approved by the Medical Officer. The infantry was only here to guard the prisoners. A prison guard wasn’t much use to the colony if that was all they could do. Zane wasn’t much use … did he realize that?

  Extra training was the one good thing about being on this trip. It wasn’t just about finding ways to pass the time so people didn’t get bored. It was also about giving the colony the best start possible. At first the extra study hadn’t been easy, but she knew she wasn’t stupid, she’d just lacked opportunity on Earth, and with every assessment she passed, her confidence grew. Now she enjoyed the study, and she wanted to be more than a prison medic. She drew in a breath and slowly released it. Zane didn’t have the power to veto her training, but he could stop her from getting the experience necessary—which was almost the same thing.

  “Sir, my training has been approved by the Medical Officer.” She’d passed the preliminary assessments and all her work was up to standard. But this wasn’t about her … Alex was out of Zane’s reach. Now that he was no longer fighting in the Rounds, Zane couldn’t arrange for a prisoner to attack him, keeping his own hands clean. Zane was desperately trying to keep her under control—she was the one that got away. She bit the inside of her lip to keep from smiling. This wasn’t the time to smile—Zane still had all the power.

  “But you are under my command, and you’d better behave. Your lover may be out of the prison, but he’s in my territory now. It would be so easy for him to take something that would leave him vulnerable.” Zane picked up his glass of water and took a sip. “I hear there is a terrible drug onboard.”

  Sexmeth. Sienna thought of the skinny guy who’d come to see her at the med station.

  “Leave Alex—” She knew using his name was a mistake the moment it left her mouth.

  “Oh, you use his name, that’s so cute. Do as you’re told and I’m sure Alex will be just fine.”

  “And if I start seeing someone else? Are you going to threaten everyone I sleep with?”

  Zane gave a lazy shrug. “Until I get tired of it, yes. Don’t you ever wonder how we ended up on the same ship? I made sure of it. I want to make sure you suffer as much as possible, because it’s your fault I’m here. If you’d kept your mouth shut, we’d both still be on Earth.”

  And I’d be dead. Sienna refrained from speaking.

  “So, any plans you make, I will break. Any time you step forward, I will push you back. I have that power and I intend to use it. I am not allowing you to leave your posting. You can read all the books you want, but without hospital training you won’t advance. This is not a discussion, Corporal. You are dismissed.”

  There were other people who were training to be medics who needed the on-the-job experience, who could take her place in the prison. The whole idea was that the twelve months of travel time be used to train people up. Even the prisoners were getting a chance to acquire much-needed skills, including everything from basket weaving to making clothing, cooking and construction.

  “Why can’t you just move on and leave me alone?” There were so many people on the ship—they didn’t need to see each other.

  Zane glared at her. “Are you trying to order me around? Would you like me to suspend all your training and put you on a warning for insubordination?”

  She didn’t move. She wanted to say something, but she couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t enrage him. If she was going to play against Zane she had to be smart. She knew his weaknesses and how he worked. It was best not to say anything, to let him think he had her cornered and cowed, just how he liked his women.

  “No, Sir.” She forced the words out, then stepped back.

  Zane stood up. “Of course, we could always come to some arrangement.”

  Sienna took several steps back and opened the door. She was gone before she had to listen to the rest of what he was going to say.

  Sienna moved though C zone. She knew Alex’s room number, and she was sure Zane did too. But there were too many people here who’d see too much. Here, beyond the reach of the prison guards, Zane didn’t have manpower. He was a grunt—an officer, but a grunt. But then, sexmeth didn’t require brute force. It required sneakiness—and Zane was plenty sneaky.

  The door to Alex’s room was open, but there was no one in there.

  “There’s a push-up competition in the rec room for the new interns—push-up until you puke,” a young sergeant said as he walked past.

  Could guys not be happy at the gym? Did it have to be a competition? “You’re not competing?”

  He shook his head. “Tore a ligament or something last time. Had to wear a sling for a few weeks, and now I have to rest.”

  “At least you’re doing as you’re told.” If Alex was competing, he would rupture his stitches. She hoped he was smarter than that.

  The man smiled at her. “Haven’t seen you down here before.”

  “I’ve come to see someone.”

  The smile fell away. “Of course you have … well, if it doesn’t work out, you know where to find me.” His smile reappeared, and he winked.

  Sienna moved away toward the rec room. This whole area was Engineering Corps, and it was easy to tell. There were building plans stuck to the walls, images of rocks and lakes and rivers on Solitaire, and even layouts for the new town that would be established. She paused to look at what would become home. The modules they were currently sleeping in would be their first houses. After that there were plans for satellite villages closer to the farming land. Areas had been set aside for industry, such as clothing production.

  There were no factories, though, and she had no idea how everyone was going to adapt to living without the things they took for granted. She wasn’t looking forward to the sock-knitting class. She had no idea how to knit. And yet everyone would need socks, and they had to come from somewhere. Were there civilians busy knitting? How much fiber had they taken from Earth?

  Who was going to make her underwear? The unease and nerves were back, twisting her gut and making her heart beat too hard.

  Living on Solitaire was going to be different to the bro
chure. But she knew that from her medical studies. They weren’t focused on the latest machines, but on basic skills, basic medications. Unity was already researching the pharmaceutical benefits of many of Solitaire’s native plants. That didn’t stop Sienna from thinking they were all going to die an early and unpleasant death there.

  She closed her eyes and counted slowly to ten.

  Was she the only person on the ship who was freaking out about the idea of living on Solitaire? As she tried to contain her panic, she heard footsteps drew closer. “It’s awesome isn’t it?” Alex said quietly.

  Sienna opened her eyes. “It’s very well-planned.” Her gaze skimmed over him. He wasn’t sweating as though he’d just done hundreds of push-ups. “Not doing the comp?”

  The corners of his lips turned up. “Not this time.” He touched his chest, but the wound was hidden by his clothes.

  “But you’re expected to, once you get better.” She knew how these things worked.

  Alex nodded. “I wasn’t sure you’d know where I was.”

  “I did some digging. When you didn’t come in I was … worried.” She couldn’t hide that from him. She brushed her fingers over the engineering patch on his sleeve. “Nice work.”

  “Probably saved my life.”

  There was no doubt about it. But she wasn’t going to tell Alex that Zane was still gunning for her. He didn’t need that worry—there was nothing he could do. But she did need to warn him that he wasn’t entirely safe, even here.

  People walked past them, most glancing their way.

  “Did you want to see my room?”

  “Not today.” She just wanted to be with him. “Did you want to get a drink in the mess?” She was willing to bet he wasn’t allowed in the bar. There would be conditions on his relocation.

  “I didn’t mean it that way. I just thought you might want to sit down somewhere quiet.”