Duty, Honour, Love
Chapter 15

Jane sat stiffly in the back of the ATV with Daisy and Allie flanking her. The Confed Lieutenant sat opposite her weapon strapped to her chest. Jane regarded her closely but with that helmet blocking the T’Arni’s face she was at a loss to know what she was thinking.

“Thanks,” she said to Dareia not knowing if she was understood. Language would be a barrier. USE or as it was known as in the Empire as Universal Standard English or as the Confed called it Terran was the official language of the Empire. Another holdout from the AI wars. Every child of the Empire had been taught the history when the machines tried to take over the world. Millions died and that led to the Terran fear of too much technology in the hands of machines. There were a few basic translator apps but with their comms out of action she couldn’t access them even if she wanted to. Jane remembered that Daisy spoke Galactic the Confed language and like the captain she hailed from a colony world on the edge of Confed space.

“Daisy,” Jane asked her comms operator not that she had any comms to monitor.

“Yes sir?” Daisy snapped to attention forcing Jane to reassess her words.

“We can dispense with the sir here,” Jane told her. She felt Allie’s hand gripping hers like a mother with a child. “It will be ok Allie,” she reassured her. “Could you say to the Confed LT that I said thanks for her help with Allie?” she asked Daisy.

“Of course Jane,” Daisy said uncertainly and dutifully translated for her.

Dareia already knew. There was something about the Terran officer that fascinated her in ways she couldn’t explain. Slowly she was peeling back the layers of lies the Terran had covered herself with like one of those Terran onions she had eaten raw on a dare. By the time their convoy had reached the outskirts of Hawthorn she had learned everything the human thought she had hidden including her real name and reason she had hidden it. Dareia rubbed her forehead the beginnings of a mammoth headache pulsing through her brain. Never before had she studied the mind of anyone on such detail. Sitting back she closed her mind to all thoughts except her own and relaxed Karasena would have to wait for her report. She glanced across to Jane and made a decision time would tell if she had made the right one.

Mark woke from his doze feeling no better than he did the last time he slept although he couldn’t remember when. Looking out over countryside he recognised signs of intensive farming. They passed a sign saying Hawthorn ten kilometres. Mark began to see houses and gardens. The ATV slowed as they reached a junction giving him a good chance to view his surroundings. He could see taller buildings ahead but there were few people about fewer than there should have been at this time of day by his reckoning. One thing he noticed about the building and houses as he passed by was the lack of hard edges and heavy shutters on the windows. The ATV slowed again and turned onto a main thoroughfare. Like the rest of the city and he assumed it was a city even though the tallest buildings were no higher than five stories.

Karasena saw what he was looking at a smiled. The expression on his face reminded her of some country folks’ first visit to a big city. “Those are the business towers,” she pointed to a tall building and a lower one next to it. “And that’s the shopping mall.” She waved a hand to the left towards another bulky looking building. “That’s Hawthorn General, your people will be looked after properly there. Dr Morin may run roughshod over anyone that gets in her way but she is the best at caring for patients any patients.”

Mark just nodded whatever regrets he had about surrendering his ship he had made the right choice in looking after the welfare of the wounded.

“All parking is underground,” Karasena stated as if she was a tourist guide.

“Yes that seems logical,” as much as he wanted to say more he thought it not his place to ask questions after she had agreed to his terms.

The ATV drove on the others following behind. It made another turn and crossed over a bridge about a hundred metres along over a river at least twice that deep. The ATV slowed and pulled up outside a two-storey building of which only the top floor had windows there was a single storey extension out the back. Mark could see it had a large parking lot and a double door leading to the interior. Surrounding the perimeter of the building and lot were a number of black uniformed men. Mark and the remainder of his crew where shepherded into the building. The interior was a stark contrast to the brown concrete exterior. The walls were painted in turquoise and the pillars supporting the railings in aqua. The colours more vibrant then the browns of the buildings that surrounded the hall. At one end was a stage flanked by two doors and above the stage supported by a mezzanine floor what seemed to be an office. Mark could see the remains of a set of steps up to the mezzanine floor by his guess it had been removed so it couldn’t be access from the inside.

Karasena followed him in wondering if she was doing the right thing. Right or wrong there could be no turning back. “There are folding beds and chairs at the back of the hall,” she said to Mark. “There’s fresh linen in the closets.” She regarded the state of Mark and the crews’ uniforms. “We have emergency suits in with the linen.” She waved her hand to the doors either side of the stage. “Those take you into the extension where there are washing and cooking facilities.”

Mark saluted. “Thank you captain.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” she responded before she could stop herself and blushed glad that Mark couldn’t see it. But sure as anything Dee would know what she meant even if she denied it. “Ah we’ve supplied you with some food, standard combat rations I’m afraid.”

“Thanks you again,” Mark replied, try as he might he was beginning to like the Confed captain even if he didn’t know her name. She had not told him and he hadn’t asked. He turned to Jane noting Allie trailing behind her. “Jane?” he said softly they were all in the same boat here.

“Sir?” Jane snapped to attention glad to be out from under Dareia intensive stare or supposed one since the T’Arni had not removed her helmet.

“Line up the crew we’ll wash first. I want you to draw up a schedule that includes cleaning and cooking.”

“Yes sir,” Jane said relieved.

“Get the beds and chairs set up. I’ll do a inventory check and we’ll see where we go from there.” Mark turned to Karasena and saluted. “With your permission captain.”

“Go ahead… Captain Stillway. Any problems…” she gestured to the mezzanine floor call one of my guards.” With that she hurried out.

Outside she drew a deep breath and released it slowly. “That was the easy part,” she said and removed her helmet smoothing her long hair down.

Just then another ATV pulled up containing those troops she had sent to guard the spaceport. Sergeant Fox jumped down followed by Sergeant Nanyo.

“Sergeants!” Karasena called over her NCO’s.

“Ma’am,” they saluted in unison.

“Draw up a roster for guard duty.”

“Already in hand ma’am,” Fox pointed to a warehouse opposite the hall. “We set up a Command Point over there.”

“And we have the monitoring equipment set up inside. Regular patrols have been organised,” Sergeant Nanyo added with a nod to Fox. “Frankly ma’am this is the most excitement we’ve seen for years.”

“And those Terran’s at the hospital?”

“In hand ma’am,” Fox said politely. “Dr Morin has reserved two wards on the top floor and we’ve put guards on all the entrances and exits.”

Karasena felt relieved there had been no bloodshed and that was all that mattered. Except Mark kept playing on her mind so some strange reason. “Very good sergeants carry on,” she saluted. “We’ve heading back to the base.” She turned and spoke to Dee. “Dee?”

“I’ll tell you on the way back.”