by Dennis Young
Talice nodded. “And the vid Junior and I saw in the hospital was a recording, almost certainly. Damn.”
“But Babs is safe, Captain,” said Bělinka softly. “As are we.”
Talice caught the reference. She looked again to Evans, his eyes averted.
“Okay. Well, something tells me there will be a next time.” Talice finished her tea. “But she kept her word. She got the hostages to us safely as possible.”
“No, Aya did that.” Evans raised his face, his eyes red. “She dug them out of the places Jance sent them. Calmed them, gave them courage to take to the streets. Aya. Not Jance.”
Talice waited a beat to answer. “Point taken, Mr. Evans. Hua.”
“I’m going to check the gear,” said Briggs, rising.
“We are getting a bit of sleep.” Nikolay stood, offering Bělinka his arm. They took their exits quietly.
“Mr. Evans, will you stay for a minute? I have something for you.” Talice eased her way back to her cabin, then returned with a parcel in her hand.
She sat beside him, across from Mac, now watching with interest. “You know what happened, don’t you? With Aya.”
Evans nodded wordlessly.
“She asked us to… to assist… to witness her regaining of her honor.”
Evans nodded again, tears forming in his eyes.
Talice unwrapped the parcel and handed him the bloody knife with the cloth wrapped around it. “This belongs to you now. It’s a symbol, I guess, of what she endured. And how that honor was regained.”
Evans held out a shaking hand. Took the still-wrapped knife. Laid it gently on the table. And simply stared at it as his tears began to fall.
Talice took him in her arms. “I’m sorry for your loss. And I want you to know, I understand. How, I’m not sure. But I do.”
Mac sat for a silent moment watching, then slid her hoverchair around the table and put her arms around them both.
* * *
A Sharing of Feelings…
Talice’s cabin door chimed. “Come in.”
Junior entered, limping slightly. He was dressed in camis and a sleeveless shirt, looking better than before. “I just wanted to see how you’re doing, Captain.”
Talice sat on the bunk and smiled crookedly. “Coming down. How about you?”
He shrugged. “The same. I…”
“Jian, come in. Close the door and sit. Please. Talk to me. Person to person. Tell me what you’re feeling.”
Junior shrugged. “I’m not sure what I feel. Except what I did wasn’t wrong.”
Talice took his hand. “And I agree. I gave the knife to Evans. He knows what happened. He… understands and accepts it. And so do I.”
He let go a sigh. “Thanks. That’s really important. I… needed that.”
Talice paused for a moment. “You did well. And you were a great support. Thanks.”
“It’s my job, Captain. But I appreciate your trust.” He motioned to her hip brace. “Gonna live?”
She chuckled. “Yeah, but I won’t be dancing for a while. Still…”
Talice ran her hands across his forearms. Up his shoulders. To his cheeks. Leaned forward and kissed him gently, his face in her hands. Then again.
“I need your help,” she whispered. “But you have to promise to be gentle. My hip…”
“Captain?” His hand found her thigh.
“No, not as Captain, Jian. As me. As Talice. As…” She stood. “Remember when you helped me with my meds? On Crius?”
Junior smiled gently and blushed. “You mean…”
I need you to help me get my pants off again. Like before.” She glanced back to the bunk. “But this time, get undressed first.”
FIDELIS
EPILOGUE
“You can best predict your future by controlling it yourself.”
Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”
Thirty Days Later, and Coming Home…
Talice hadn’t stayed for long once Bird One touched down at the training center. A day-long debriefing with the team, a quick packing of her bag, then a hug with Mac, a “see you real soon” whisper, and she was gone.
Babs was flown immediately to Northland Base and taken to the infirmary. Talice commtexted her after a couple of days, when she knew Babs was stabilized and better.
She went south to the recreational gardens of Southland and some solitude in the national parks there. She mourned Aya. She mourned Konee. She mourned her health, that she knew was failing, regardless the best efforts of Marine medicine. She mourned the life she would miss, and the friends she would leave behind.
She got it out of her system and marveled at the beauty of a world she’d paid too little attention to.
Then north, into the mountains, ending up at Mom and Dad’s for a few days. She sat with Dad in the porch swing, pouring her heart out. Still trying to make sense of it all.
“That’s the catch, Princess,” he said, coffee cup in hand. “Sometimes you have to let it go and move on. Nothing you do will change what’s happened. The only thing you really need to accept is, you’re alive. Your life is important, too.”
She hadn’t seen Colonel Fawkes since she returned. He stayed with the battalion on Crius for nearly thirty days before returning to Theia. Twice he’d sent messages, and twice she’d replied. But she’d kept it light. After being away from him, and trying still to comprehend her tryst on the return trip to Theia with Jian, she wasn’t sure where things were going. Or if they even were.
Finally, they met, at the Running Foxxe, of course. The evening was a quiet one. Fawkes was obviously spent, and she didn’t press. She understood. Totally.
“You’ve healed up? Team is okay? You know Mac’s scheduled for surgery before the end of the year. The most recent culture for her legs is looking good.” Talice nodded, watching the harbor out the window.
“I don’t know if I can do this anymore.” Talice lifted her teacup and drank.
“Thinking of retiring? Want to talk about it?” Fawkes waited for her answer, sipping coffee.
She didn’t respond for a moment. “I need time, Hal. I need peace in my life for a while.”
He gave her a serious look. “Need to talk with a counselor? I’ve been there myself, and understand.”
She shrugged. “Maybe. Listen, I’m out of sorts and you’re exhausted. While the operation was a success, we’ve both got healing yet to do. Let’s… let’s take a break for now.”
Fawkes watched her for a long moment. She couldn’t look at the hurt in his eyes. “If that’s the way you want it. Just let me know if I can help.”
Talice nodded and rose. “I will. Thanks for dinner, but I gotta go.”
She hit the street alone, breathing in the cold winter air. Walked until sundown. Then walked some more, just thinking.
* * *
Ten Days More, and the Bedside with Babs…
Talice held Babs’s hand, a tear showing.
“They tell me you had something to do with my being here.” Babs smiled warmly, her eyes meeting Talice’s.
“Just me and a bunch of old friends. We’re expecting you to take us all to dinner. I’ve made reservations at the best place in town.” She held Babs’s hand tighter.
“How you doing?”
Talice shrugged. “Well enough. Your staff pilfered your files, so I’m still alive. You’ll have to change your passwords, though.”
They laughed together.
“I saw Jance.”
Talice nodded, her smile fading. “I know.”
“She pulled me out of Nemesis. They were gonna kill me.”
Talice swallowed hard, nodded again, but said nothing.
Babs sighed. “Now all I get to do is go back to work.”
“Yeah, but I’m your patient. That’s gotta count for something.”
Babs chuckled lightly. “Do I get to watch you take your pants off again?”
Talice smiled. “Wait your turn.”
* * *
Northland
Marine Base Infirmary, Sometime Later in the Year…
Talice entered Mac’s room, leaned over the bedside and gave her a huge hug.
Mac beamed and uncovered one leg. The skin was bright, new, baby-soft, a half-shade lighter in color than the rest of her body, but that was minor.
“New legs… finally.” Mac blinked away a tear.
“Hua, girl.” Talice’s eyes glistened with tears. They sat quietly together for a while.
“Still learning how to wiggle my toes. On my feet in a couple of weeks for PT. That lasts forever, you know. Gotta build up the muscles.” Mac took Talice’s hand and held it tightly. “Then I’ll start learning how to use them.”
“Oh, don’t worry.” Talice grinned salaciously. “I’m sure when the time comes, you’ll know exactly how to use them.”
About Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu was a Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and philosopher who lived in the Eastern Zhou period of ancient China. Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, a widely influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thinking. Aside from his legacy as the author of The Art of War, Sun Tzu is revered in Chinese and East Asian culture as a legendary historical and military figure.
Sun Tzu's historicity is uncertain. The Han dynasty historian Sima Qian and other traditional Chinese historians placed him as a minister to King Helü of Wu and dated his lifetime to 544–496 BC. Modern scholars accepting his historicity nonetheless place the existing text of The Art of War in the later Warring States period based upon its style of composition and its descriptions of warfare. Traditional accounts state that the general's descendant Sun Bin also wrote a treatise on military tactics, also titled The Art of War. Since both Sun Wu and Sun Bin were referred to as Sun Tzu in classical Chinese texts, some historians believed them identical prior to the rediscovery of Sun Bin's treatise in 1972.
Sun Tzu's work has been praised and employed throughout East Asian warfare since its composition. During the twentieth century, The Art of War grew in popularity and saw practical use in Western society as well. It continues to influence many competitive endeavors throughout the world, including culture, politics, business, and sports, as well as modern warfare.
From Wikipedia and related references.
Author’s Note:
I’ve incorporated quotes from The Art of War that pertain, at least in part, to each chapter of this book. I did that to instill a bit of history and realism into my obviously-fictional account of the Marine Corps centuries from now, on another world. I also did it to help me focus on each task, as Sun Tzu taught, and always hold the mission priorities in my mind. Just like Talice did.
About the Author
Dennis Young’s writing experience began somewhere around the third grade and has continued since. Once through the grueling trials of school (grade, high, and college level, surviving all with a flourish) he found an outlet for his imagination in the world of fanzines and fan literature. Writing for friends, family, and once in a while actual publication, his appetite was only whetted.
Working in the International Construction industry, he found opportunity to direct his writing talents to presentations, articles, and project management.
In the early 2000’s he began assembling The Ardwellian Chronicles, an Epic Fantasy Saga of six novels and three compendiums totaling more than 1.3 million words.
With the Chronicles published between 2007 and 2018, he then turned to the genre of Military Science Fiction and The Mercenary Trilogy, detailing the adventures of Talice Wyloh.
His next foray was into SF adventure and The Earthfleet Saga Volumes One and Two, with further books in the works.
Never one to say no to a challenge, more genres lay in the future for his exploration.
Stay tuned…
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