Attack ships, p.7
Attack Ships, page 7
part #2 of Starwing Elite Series
"Take your time, give her space to be bold." I explained as I checked the meters on his suit armor. "She's been through a lot."
A lot more than you ever need to know, I thought.
"Don't be shocked if she acts surprised when you take your clothes off," Tank added. "I don't know for sure, but I think she's not used to seeing men naked."
I wanted to tell Tank that naked men met hurt most of her life. It wasn't that she was surprised; it was the newfound knowledge that being with a man could be a good thing.
The Sans Arcs was one of three ships in the Tomahawk Combine. It patrolled another sector in the Order system that allowed for small groups to remain free and uninterrupted by the UDF. Whatever took place in this system, it had to be rough for the navy to bring in so many packs and groups that, under most circumstances, would not have anything to do with each other.
I didn't know a lot about them, but the Tomahawks had their own outer colonies and settlements along the path they patrolled. Unlike the Horde, they took prisoners, but tried to find ways to adopt them. It was said that for every three captives they took, one was accepted into the tribes. Once again, the UDF really didn't care so long as they kept the smugglers and raiding parties out of the civilized space.
The Tomahawks didn't favor FAS style attack ships. They tended to use smaller starfighter class ones. They would swarm out and decimate any target their war master designated. It was a terrifying thing to watch and kept the raiders from casually venturing through Tomahawk patrols. I'd watched videos of Tomahawk parties surround a small convoy of smugglers and force them to surrender with a combined series of laser fire.
I'd met a few of them at repair stations. They were tall men with a fondness for necklaces, earrings and other decorations. They didn't speak much and, as with most of the groups in the Orders, congregated among themselves. I was told they wore face paint in combat, a holdover from one of the cultures on Old Earth, long since forgotten to history.
There were a few smaller groups we seldom saw. Most of these patrolled smaller points near asteroid clusters or binary stars. In some cases, they didn't even have starship capability. Some consisted of a few families that mined planetoids for rare minerals. They provided early warning systems for the UDF and let them know if anything suspicious was on the move into their territory. Often, they would dissolve and be absorbed into larger orders. In some cases, new orders were created out of problems with existing ones. I knew of several cases where groups who weren't happy with their current arrangements had petitioned the Orders Marshals to leave an existing one and form another. Not all of them were approved. In some cases, a group might split up and leave the Orders. When this happened, there was a mad rush to fill the space they'd protected. Usually it was done by expanding the territory of existing groups until the UDF Navy could find another one to plug the hole.
Starwing came out of such a need. The founders were former UDF officer who had some unpopular ideas about how men and women should relate to each other. When a slot opened in the border zone, they successfully petitioned to have a new group created to fill it.
Our FAS managed to reach the Sans Arcs before the Hard Rain could come to its assistance. I watched from my spot in the tower as the small starfighters of the mothership tried to lure the larger starfighters used by the mercs into range. It wasn't much of a contest. The lone mothership lacked the resources to outgun the larger, faster starfighters.
"Sans Arcs," I transmitted to their mothership. "This is the FAS group from the Hard Rain. We'll try to lead the mercenary ships away from you and link up with your starfighters. Our mothership will be here soon and can assist you."
"We accept your help gladly, FAS leader," the Sans Arcs communications officer let me know, "Though please allow our men to take first blood."
I glanced at the screen that floated in front of me. The Sans Arcs was down to three of their small starfighters from the twelve launched. Four of their six laser combinations were out of operation. I couldn't tell if their missiles or projectile weapons were usable. And I could pick up around them a swarm of eighteen mercenary starfighters. It didn't look good for our side, although I figured the mercs would be low on fuel and ammunition.
Before I could transmit back, one of the icons went out for a Sans Arcs starfighter. Now they only had two to use.
"Have any of your people scored a kill?" I asked the Sans Arcs voice.
"No," came the response. "It was a flawless ambush. We still have a two out there, so once each has taken out an enemy, to atone for our lost souls, you can help." I shook my head in disbelief. They were so obsessed with honor that they'd lose their entire mothership rather than have another Orders ship take out a hostile before them.
"Did you hear that?" I switched over to Tank and Shelly's FAS ships. "They demand to be the first ones to score a kill. We'll have to sit here and watch this disaster take place." I looked at the screens inside my helmet and saw my crew stunned by the demand.
"I heard," Tank spoke. "I'm holding my fire."
"Same here," Shelly agreed. "I think It's crazy, but it's their battle right now. No sense in getting into the thick of it if they don't want us."
I was about to make a suggestion when the final two icons of the Sans Arcs starfighters went out.
The mercenary starfighters turned and swarmed over the mothership. I gritted my teeth and watched as they scored one hit after another on it. Still, they wouldn't call for help. What kind of men could be so stubborn as to endure this level of attack? No wonder it was UDF insisting we intervene, this mothership wasn't about to ask for help.
I watched, ready for one of the merc ships to come too close to the mothership. It happened shortly after the last Sans Arcs starfighter was destroyed; a merc ship spun right into the coordinated field of a laser attack and was disintegrated.
"Game on!" I transmitted to the other FAS ships that were with me. Seconds later, I had the acknowledgement I needed from Tank and Shelly.
We charged into the thick of it and ripped open the merc starfighters as we came. Tank managed to hit one of them from behind and sent its parts in a spiral around the weak gravity field of the Sans Arcs. The mercs were focused on the mothership and never saw us coming. An eye for an eye, ambush for an ambush.
By the time the next merc ship was gone, we'd already eliminated six of the others. The mercs realized too late what we were about to do and scattered their formation. This was just as I wanted. It allowed us to push them close enough to the Sans Arcs so the Tomahawks could pick them off with the remaining weapons array on the mothership. I watched several merc starfighters drift into the field of laser fire and turn black from the energy they absorbed.
However, the Sans Arcs took a beating from the mercs. Soon, we could see emergency venting from the Cesium canisters and electrical discharges from the propulsion units. I picked up enough background chatter over the transmissions to know they were in bad trouble.
Six merc starfighters remained when the Hard Rain managed to get into range. It only took one Deathdealer missile for them to realize the odds no longer were in their favor. Since the mercs valued survival, they turned and pulled out of combat once the second missile was on its way. It still eliminated another starfighter, but the rest were headed out of the combat zone by then.
I wanted to pursue and finish them off, but Captain wouldn't hear of it. In her way of thinking, they would limp back to whatever hole in the wall station they used and let the others know what happened.
Instead, she wanted us to help the Sans Arcs and provide medical and material assistance for them. By now, the Orders had dispatched repair and medical ships to pull the Sans Arcs out and take care of the wounded. Our job was to help them out as much as we could until the help arrived.
I didn't travel to the Sans Arcs. Captain sent Vienna and Cherish over, as they were our medical officers. We guarded the space around the Sans Arcs in case the mercs had any further ideas about attacking. Captain made sure there was always one FAS out there until the relief force appeared two standard days later.
Once the relief was there, Captain pulled us out of the location and moved the mothership back to where it could recuperate. Although we hadn't taken any losses, the work we did for the Sans Arcs was enough to exhaust the pack. I'd spent the entire two days waiting for help, sleeping in the bunks near the ready room, as none of us knew if the mercs might strike again.
My assignment with Precious was long overdue when I reported to her new room that night. It took them a few days to find her one, but there were a few ready after we'd lost Britani and Latasha. I was part of the detail that cleaned out Latasha's room. Britani’s was done by another crew. I couldn't bear to do it; too many things reminded me of her. Latsha was painful enough, but Britani was the mother of my son.
You never really know someone until you've cleaned up after them, I once heard. Hauling out Latasha's things after her death underlined the saying. Captain let me keep a book of her poetry. Mementos she had of her daughters would go to them once we were at a transfer point.
Precious waited for me that night. She was already on the bed when I knocked on her door. Her little voice that allowed me inside the room came from across the room. I opened the door and closed it behind me.
"You like?" he asked.
Precious was naked save for a pair of work boots. I didn't understand why she'd requisitioned those the other week, now I knew. She sat on the bed and watched me take off my uniform.
"Are you going to leave those on?" I asked her.
"Maybe," she responded. "Oh, look at how big you just got!"
My psychopath had toned things down a bit since she and I were inside each other's head. However, there were some things she knew about me that Precious could use to her advantage.
"I'm learning a lot," she told me a few hours later. Both of us were hot and the sweat poured off her back.
"I noticed," I replied to her and ran one finger between her breasts. "I glad you enjoy it for a change."
"None of you mind," she told me. "I haven't been with everyone yet, but you don't mind sharing me. I don't recall that was the way they looked at me years ago. I was always someone's property, even if they loaned me out."
"You can thank Captain for how we do things here," I let her know. "I'm supposed to see her in two nights."
"She doesn't need to help me anymore," Precious told me as her tight little body wrapped around my waist. "She came in every night and coached me the first week. Since then, I've been able to do it on my own. She still stops me in the corridor and wants to know how it was the previous night."
"She checks up on everyone," I explained. "It's how she manages the pack. If you don't make love with your assignments, there's a problem that needs to be addressed."
"Oh," Precious squealed when her leg swiped past my thighs. "You are ready again. One more time, we have to sleep."
It was two more times before we slept in each other’s arms.
I had a powerful dream that night.
Precious and I were on the surface of some planet. Both of us were naked, but we didn't care. No other people were around and we were on the edge of a beach. I took her inside a house after I'd made love to her and cleaned the sand off her body. She washed me up as well and found a room with a bed in it for both of us. We were supposed to sleep, but a noise caught my attention.
I walked out of the room and shut the door behind me. Precious was fast asleep and I didn't want to wake her.
The house was quiet, but I realized we were not alone. I put on a robe I'd found and walked to the main room. There, Captain put away several large packages she’d brought with her.
"I've had a busy day," Captain told me. "Did you know those mercs have a small base on the Dawkin Asteroid?" She sat down and began to take off her clothes.
"No I didn't," I relied and went over to help Captain unsnap her bra. "What are we going to do about it?"
"I'll let you decide," Captain told me as she undid the tie on my robe. "Are we alone? Because I need to use that thing."
"I think we are," I lied to her. "Let me go check and make sure." As my robe slid off me, I walked back to tell Precious she had to sneak out of the house. Why this had to be done, I don't understand. Wasn't Captain the one who made up the roster? Dreams never have internal logic.
I went back down the hall to the room where I'd left the sleeping form of Precious. I knew it was important to get her out of the beach house before Captain found out she was there.
I opened the door slow, since I didn't want to make too much noise and wake up Precious. If she woke too sudden and saw my naked form, she'd want to make love. But I couldn't do that since Captain needed me for that in the main room. The last thing I wanted to do was disappoint Captain. That much carried over from real life into the dream.
But, instead of the sleeping form of Precious, there was a full chemical factory. I opened the door into the factory and stood there, naked, while the reflux condensers and distillation apparatus worked at purifying the Black Mirror drug the smugglers sold.
And then I woke up.
"Wondered how long it would take," Precious said to me. She leaned over and kissed me on the lips. "Did I wear you out that much last night? No more, I have to walk today." She giggled.
I tossed my legs over the side of the bed and looked at her. "Captain," I said. "I need to see Captain. There's something I have to tell her."
"What am I going to do?" Precious said as she stroked my side. "Have breakfast in the mess hall by myself?"
"No, "I responded. "Who are you assigned with tonight?"
She thought a minute and remembered. "Marcus," she told me with a forlorn look. I knew she'd wanted to spend some time in the morning with me and discuss the previous night. "I haven't been with him yet."
I thought for a second. Marcus was about twenty-five standard years and had three children already. There was something in his genetic profile that Captain liked. At least I didn't have to worry about any inexperience on his part, though I'll admit that the thought of Marcus breeding Precious made my blood boil. I really needed to get that in check.
"Tell him that I had to see Captain right away. I don't know who he was with last night, but you can sit with the both of them. Don't interrupt them if they want to talk about the previous evening."
"He was with Chanita last night"
"That's the mother of his children. They'll want to talk about a lot because of the kids. She may not approve of you being there, but there's nothing she can do about it. Just don't look her in the face too long and she won't feel threatened."
Precious gave me a long, lasting hug as I left her quarters. She kept it neat and clean. No small task when some of the men she'd had as assignments could be slobs. I noted that she had a special place for new, as opposed to used, towels.
I almost bumped into Rin, the gunner on Tank's crew as he walked out the door from Captain's room. It was important that I see her before everyone else wanted a word with her. My dream was in the forefront of my mind.
"Pardon, Corwin," he spoke to me as he hurried to button up his uniform. "She wanted me out of there early. Something about a new call that came in overnight from the Orders Marshal." It couldn't be too important if the call waited until the morning. Although Captain didn't like to be interrupted when she had one of the men over for an assignment.
"How was she last night?" I asked Rin. It was important I find out before going in that room to see her. I needed her full approval for what I had in mind.
"Needy," he spoke to me. "I spent most of the time giving her a back rub. I took care of her other needs later, but she went to sleep right away." He tried to suppress a smile. "She made sure I was satisfied too, even after I tried to deny my disappointment. Funny how she sees through the little things."
"Back to her old self," I commented. "Well, I'll find out what it means when I go inside." I placed one hand on the door.
"Starting a bit early?" He said. "I know she likes you a lot, but aren't you supposed to be down in the hanger on standby?"
"Not with her tonight. I have to ask her about something else."
He nodded and walked away. I knocked on her door and waited.
Captain, with a towel wrapped around her, opened the door and looked surprised. "What are you doing here?" She demanded. "I though Rin was back for more."
She let me in and shut the door behind her. "If this is about Precious, I need to know right away," she continued. "Every man I've sent to her was thrilled afterwards. Was she good last night? Or is her old personality coming back?"
"She was good several times," I explained and risked a wing, "Have you checked her genetic make-up? She's the right age for babies."
"Not until I find out if she carries anything that accounted for her psychopathology. You can get those things fixed, but not in extreme cases. Besides, some of those recessive traits hide their presence. It will be several more standard weeks until the test results come back from the Order."
Captain's toned body showed through the towel. I almost wanted her to let it drop. She noticed my excitement, as usual.
"Not right away," she told me while the towel unwrapped. "I've planned you for an assignment in two weeks, providing we don't have any more crap from the mercs."
She turned around and placed on of my hands over her heart. I could feel the pulsations of it and her desire. In her mind, I saw a rapid index of all the lovemaking we'd done over the years. Even the first time I was with her as a young man. Always that first time in her memories, I noted. Even before my abilities had developed in the direction they had, I could see in Captain's eyes how she remembered my first time with her. As my first, she was the woman who'd fulfilled me and I could never forget it.
"Besides," she spoke as Captain moved my hand away from her breast, "I like to take my time with you. I love all the time I have with my men, even if I don't need a man in my bed every night, as I used to when I was much younger. Now what was it you wanted to see me about?" She opened up her closet and pulled out a uniform.
