Duty, Honour, Love
Chapter 3

Dareia watched her friend walk away sensing the turmoil and anger in her mind. It was at times like this that she wished she hadn’t this ability. Knowing what she did about her friend’s past she knew full well that she had that sort of pressure before. She had been exiled to here for saying no. Dareia regarded her friend, Karasena hadn’t told her the story but over the ten years she had been here she had picked out the fragments of it. A former commander had pressed her for sex but she had refused. Dareia had heard that sometimes happened with a Human in command but she had been shocked to replace the ‘pervert’ as she had named him was another T’Arni. Of course the higher ups had hushed it up the officer had been removed from command but Karasena was forced into a twenty-year exile to cover it up. Karasena’s reaction to any pressure was to head for the nearest aravi field and hide for a few hours. Now that they were at war she hadn’t that luxury.

Dareia turned at the sound of the ground car start up. The Mayor peered out of the window his eyes of Karasena’s retreating back. He had been easy to read. The Mayor hadn’t been interested in protecting the colonists his concern was of his own position. Like many in his position he was out to save his own skin. He was angry at his Security Chief for not backing him up. What surprised her was the Chief understood Karasena’s stance. Further more he knew full well the garrison was incapable of defending itself let alone the civilian population. He had argued with the Mayor on the way here putting that point to him. She had read clearly from his mind that despite the Mayor’s protests he was planning on forming a militia. She had no doubts he would succeed and had already planned to order civilians to head for the storm cellars if the worse happened and had agreed whole-heartedly when Karasena had suggested the same. Dareia approved of the idea the whole city was built with the winter storms in mind, hurricane strength winds and sheets of rain strong enough to knock a person down. Shutting down the way her thoughts were going she waved Sergeant Fox over.

“Fox!” she called, it was easy enough to block his thoughts out.

“Yes ma’am!”

“Ensure that no civilian enters the base without the captain’s authorisation.”

“Yes ma’am,” Fox saluted.

“One other thing Fox,”

“Ma’am?”

“Finish off gathering the lists of who we need and who can go.”

“Yes ma’am!” Fox hesitated. “Ma’am do you want to include us in that?”

Dareia opened her mind and read his thoughts. He and Nanyo didn’t want to leave both feeling their duties were with the officers. Of whom that was his and Nanyo’s impression needed their guidance.

“One of you has to keep an eye on those soldiers we’ve scattered to the settlements to make sure military discipline is maintained and ensure that rotas are adhered to.”

“Yes ma’am, with your permission.”

“Go ahead Fox.”

He saluted again and hurried off.

Dareia walked to the comms bunker. The structure was a rectangle with sloping sides and a domed top from which the comms mast sprouted. At her orders she had it fully extended. The task of the garrison was to relay signals from the comms net to local systems and to monitor comms traffic from those local systems. Not that there was much of that. The Erikino system was so remote that anyone hardly came here. Situated between the edge of the Confederacy and the Core to where no ship had ever returned from. Shaking herself she climbed the steps and entered the bunker. Immediately a wall confronted her with several camera’s facing the door. The bunker had been built with an inner and outer ring. The outer ring contained the firing slits and at the far end was a set of stairs down into the underground and an elevator. Dareia walked around to the entrance of the comms station the inner ring of the bunker her mind sensing all those within. As she entered her eyes picked out Karasena seated at an auxiliary comms terminal. The three others in there seated at the main consoles their eyes on their tasks their minds conflicted. Dareia shut their thoughts out and walked to Karasena sat.

Karasena activated the terminal as Dareia approached. A holo of an older man appeared. He was grey haired and had a beard as grey as his hair. A human from what she could see.

“Professor Nichols?” Karasena said.

Professor Jared Nichols, Dareia had never been close enough to him to read his mind not that she wanted to. It was just that other minds imposed themselves on her. Although she had been using her ability more and more lately even though she hadn’t wanted to.

“Captain Karasena,” Nichols said loudly. “Just called to let you know we’re neutral in all this. No need to incarcerate us we’re isolated enough up here as it is.”

Dareia remembered that White Mountain was a Terran facility studying local flora and fauna.

“It’s a Terran facility,” she replied to the confused thoughts in Karasena’s mind.

“Oh yes I remember now,” Karasena said.

Dareia tuned herself into Karasena’s thoughts. She was thinking that they were non-combatants and they had two space capable shuttles not much of a threat with several Confederacy soldiers there.

“I hope you are treating my soldiers ok?” Karasena said to Nichols.

“They are fine and part of our little family here although three want to return when they heard the news.”

“You have their names?”

“Of course,” Nichols told her.

The names he gave Karasena were troublemakers who had been sent to White Mountain. Had it be her instead of Karasena she would have had them thrown in the brig. She read from Karasena’s mind that was the last thing she wanted. She was too soft hearted. Dareia guessed this was what the ‘pervert’ had counted on little knowing that underneath that softness was a core of steel. It just had to be coaxed out.

“Only when their current duty ends,” Karasena said firmly.

Nichols’ image was replaced by a human in Confederacy grey skinnies. The form hugging fatigue uniform all Confederacy wore when not in combat armour or dress uniform. Like both Karasena and her had to wear when on duty or in Karasena’s case reluctantly.

“The Terrans told us about the war. What are your orders ma’am?”

“Continue as is Corporal Barnett,” Karasena said. He wasn’t one of the troublemakers he was just there to make sure they followed orders.

“Corporal Barnett is due to be rotated out in a month,” Dareia reminded her.

“You are safer there Barnett the Empire is hardly likely destroy one of their own.”

Barnett nodded thoughtfully at that. “What do we do with the civ’s here ma’am?”

“Nothing, but monitor all comms out.”

“Yes ma’am,” Barnett’s image snapped a salute before fading out.

Nichols’ image replaced it. “So we can carry on as normal?”

“Yes, but all your external comms will be routed through us,” Karasena stated.

“That goes without saying captain.” The holo faded out.

Karasena regarded Dareia. “Your thoughts?”

Dareia regarded her friend shifting through the whirl of thoughts and yes she was a friend despite the fact they were on a war footing.

“Nichols is right one point we don’t have the facilities to handle POW’s let alone intern civilians.” She shuddered at Karasena’s revulsion to the thought. White Mountain may have been a Terran facility but they had taken partners and children. It was these innocents that where causing Karasena’s problems.

“You think we should make provisions?” Karasena asked her she didn’t want to think about the consequences.

“It’s pointless to intern everyone. We just don’t know how many Terrans there actually are,” Dareia pointed out. “When was an actual head count was last done?”

“Not in the twenty years I’ve been here,” Karasena stated.

“How about the old Festival Hall in the industrial zone?” Dareia said it had been on Karasena’s mind.

“That’s a strong possibility but will the Mayor go for it?” Karasena sounded doubtful.

“The Festival Hall is ideal. No windows on the ground floor. Three exits, one to the yard out back. The double doors at the front and the other door to the parking lot. Then there’s the mezzanine floor that skirts the walls and the windows are on that level and are small. It makes an excellent vantage point to watch any POWs we have.” Dareia strongly believed that it was unlikely that they would have to deal with any ‘POWs’. She said it to ease Karasena’s troubled mind.

“But?” Karasena was still wavering

“And there’s the chain link fence that surrounds the back yard. It edges the bluff overlooking the river. We could use it as an exercise yard. The Hall has a self-contained kitchen and washing facilities and if I remember it correctly a store of folding beds. All we have to add are sensors and alarms and its good to go.”

“As good as it sounds will the Mayor allow it?”

Dareia read from Karasena’s mind that she was coming around to the idea. She would have to press the issue before doubts overcame Karasena’s resolve.

“He won’t be able to say no. We are at war you have the right to requisition whatever resources you need as long as you return them once the war is over?”

Karasena smiled, Dareia found peace had returned to her friend’s mind.

“I’ll make the call, it’s time I showed him who’s boss.”

Dareia laughed the mayor was certainly having a bad day it was only going to get worse going forward. She was glad that Karasena was going to show her teeth and assert herself. Twenty years of exile had worn her down and this was the chance for her to show Com Ops just what she was capable of. As expected the Mayor was outraged. That was until Karasena pointed out to him that the Confederacy was at war and as a loyal citizen of the Confederacy honour bound to support its military. Dareia was satisfied with the results. Karasena sounded more assured, more the captain she was and a leader. The days passed into weeks and both Dareia and Karasena watched and waited each eager for news of the war their only connection with worlds outside the planet they had been stationed on. Four weeks after the start of the war all hell broke loose.