Black Guard, The (3 page)

Early in the segment, Hada introduced
me to meditation. Like Pushing, Hada’s father had only taught her the basics,
so we had to improvise. I loved meditation and the feeling of cleansing my mind
of worry, yesterday which couldn’t be changed, and tomorrow which couldn’t be
lived today. Over time, we realized that being able to clear our minds improved
our fighting and decision making.

Six were judged to have failed and were
assigned to the Guard as privates. The remaining eight of us were promoted to
corporals, a red band above a red dragon, and allowed to advance to the third
segment.

* * *

"Now it gets hard," Hada
said, as we sat drinking a black tea I’d become fond of since arriving at the
Guard school. The third segment was scheduled to begin the next day.

"You’re joking. What do you think
the last four years were? Fun?" I glared at her, only half in jest.

"More like an introduction to the
Guard. Now we will be competing against each other," she said, watching me
with eyes narrowed. I didn’t like the sound of that. Hada had a dream. I was
just tagging along, although I had to admit I loved the Guard school—and
not being a commando. "Rivka, promise me you will try your hardest to defeat
me during every contest. Promise on your honor as my sister."

"Why?"

"Because I want to know I earned
whatever rank I get. But even more important, if you help me or I help you the
instructor will fail us both." Her hazel eyes bore into me.

"I promise… If you promise I won’t
lose your friendship." At this point in my life, that felt more important
than rank.

"I promise. You will always be a
friend and my adopted sister. Nothing will ever change that."

* * *

Hada had been right, the classroom
studies and subsequent exercises were more complex. The one-on-one fighting was
more intense and in spite of protective equipment often ended in serious
injuries that required advanced medical treatment. Weapon practice evolved to a
new level. We were expected to hit the target in the kill zone every time
whether we, the target, or both were moving. And I was introduced to the love
of my life—the dragon whip, which all officers wore. Made of hundreds of
strands of a special diamond-metal fiber, it could cut cleanly through metal, muscle,
and bone. I even gave up some of my sleep-time to practice on my own.

Four of us passed. The four that failed
to meet the instructors’ standards were assigned to a Guard unit as corporals,
and we were promoted to Lieutenants: a red star over a red dragon.

When we arrived for our first day of
training, three Black Guard captains were there to greet us. Captain Yadin had
been our first segment instructor. The youngest of the three, I’d heard he had
been injured on an assignment and was on limited duty. He walked with a slight
limp. Captain Sarnoff was middle-aged and had taught the second segment. She
was rumored to be semi-retired but available if necessary. The third captain,
Kluger, was the senior training officer. He looked to be in his sixties with
silver hair and lined face.

"Congratulations." Kluger
said as he and the others approached our little group. We bowed deeply as
required. "The four of you have succeeded in passing the third segment.
But only one of you may proceed to the fourth. Today you will compete against
each other in a series of matches. The winner will continue his or her training.
The other three will be assigned to a Guard unit. You have two hours to prepare
yourselves. The first match will be Hada and Adler, the second Rivka and Yehu,
the third Rivka and Adler, the fourth Hada and Yehu, the fifth Adler and Yehu,
and the final match Rivka and Hada. Dismissed."

I looked at Hada in shock. She had said
this would happen, but I hadn’t expected it so soon. We immediately ran off to
our favorite meditation spot we had discovered by accident while exploring a
narrow path. The trail ended at a small bare slab of rock, just big enough for
the two of us to sit, precariously perched on the shear face of gray granite.
It was partly hidden by a mighty waterfall that fell hundreds of meters and
created a turbulent river of crashing, white water that fought its way over
boulders and through narrow canyons into a lush green valley far in the distance.

* * *

Captain Sarnoff was the official
referee, with Kluger and Yadin standing on opposite sides, judging the match.
We had been told to start in the Pushing position, but everything was fair
after that. The winner was the one who disabled the other or drove him or her
out of the circle.

Hada’s match against Adler was over
seconds after Captain Sarnoff signaled them to start. Adler attempted to use
his twenty-kilo weight advantage to throw her off balance and finish the match.
When he lunged forward, Hada twisted sideways. The sudden absence of resistance
threw Adler forward and Hada caught him with an elbow to the temple. He collapsed,
and she was declared the winner.

I was next. Yehu was more subtle,
probing me for a weakness to attack and made no attempt to disengage. After
several minutes of unsuccessful tries, he grabbed my right wrist, pulling me to
the right, and drove a round-house kick towards my head. Rather than trying to
defend against his coming kick, I let myself be pulled into him, driving my
elbow into his ribs. As we fell, I tucked my head and did a forward roll onto
my feet. Yehu landed on his back and was pushing himself up from the floor when
I drove a back-kick to his head, ending the match.

The judges gave the next match to
Adler, since Yehu was not fit to fight. He had two fractured ribs and a
concussion. Hada and I were next.

"Promise," Hada said as we
touched in the traditional Pushing position—wrists touching and one hand
on the other’s elbow. I nodded and emptied my mind as Hada and I probed for a
weakness to exploit even before Captain Sarnoff said to start. Pushing was as
much a mental contest as physical as we each made subtle feints looking for a
weakness to exploit. Every now and then I would begin a pushing attack,
thinking I had found an opening only to stop in time when I realized it was a
deliberate trap. My traps for Hada also failed. Like Hada, I knew from previous
experience an attempt to give up the Pushing position for a more aggressive
attack would have left me vulnerable.

"Stop!" Captain Kluger
shouted. Hada and I froze in place. "Step back."

While we waited the three captains
talked in whispered tones. Then Kluger spoke.

"You have fought for ten minutes,
without a winner. We find it hard to believe that’s possible without cheating.
We will review the tapes, and if we determine you faked the match, you will
both fail and will lose your recent promotions. You are dismissed for
now." They left without another word.

"I didn’t," Hada immediately
said, frowning as she looked at me.

"I promised you I wouldn’t, and I
kept that promise. I did my best to find a weakness. I couldn’t," My
stomach roiled. There was nothing we could do but wait for their decision.

* * *

Hada and I stood in front of the three
captains the next day, awaiting their decision. Captain Kluger broke the long
painful silence.

"We have reviewed the tapes in
great detail. One of us feels you cheated. One that you did your best. And one
is undecided. But none of us is willing to vote our feelings as we saw nothing
that proves the truth one way or the other. We have contacted Dragon Tzadok. He
will arrive tomorrow and will make the final decision. You’re dismissed for
now."

"A dragon," she whispered,
gazing off into the distance. I knew that was Hada’s dream and felt like
crying.

"I hope I haven’t ruined your
dream. I didn’t mean to. You’ve taught me everything I know." My chest
hurt as though someone were squeezing my insides. "It’s your dream, not
mine. It’s not fair."

"My dream isn’t dead, but there
may be a minor setback." She smiled and put an arm around my shoulder.
"Come, sister, let’s practice that damn whip you love. Maybe you can teach
me to love it."

* * *

The next day, I was told to wait in a
small room, while Hada was led away. I tried to meditate in order to have a
clear mind for whatever was to come but failed. The thought that Hada’s help
had caused her to be punished had me pacing the room, my mind churning with
ideas of how I might convince them she hadn’t cheated. I franticly searched for
something I could do or say that would put the total blame on me. But I couldn’t
think of anything that could change what was about to happen, and lying might
make the situation worse. My clothes were damp from sweat when they finally
came to get me. When I faced Tzadok and the captains, Tzadok shook his head.

"You’re in no condition to fight.
Freshen yourself, meditate, and return when you’re ready to fight me."

I gave a small bow, went off to my
favorite spot, and stayed until my mind had quieted and my tension faded. Then
I went to the barrack, changed clothes, and returned to the area Tzadok had
designated. He and the three captains returned shortly afterward. The fight
with Tzadok was… interesting. He chose to spend a lot of time Pushing
before
he switched to a more conventional, separated fight. He scored several blows,
but I managed to deflect them enough that they weren’t disabling. Then I misjudged
an attack and woke up lying on the dirt, my head throbbing.

"You are dismissed, Rivka. I’ll
give you both my decision tomorrow," he said, and the four walked away,
leaving me and my returning black mood. I still hadn’t moved when Hada flung
herself to the ground besides me.

"Tzadok was good. I think he held
back, judging me as we fought, but I think I did well. I loved fighting him. My
mind was clear and there was only him and me, dancing."

"Aren’t you worried about what
they are going to decide?"

"No. Tzadok beat me, but I held my
own against a Dragon. A dream come true."

"You’re crazy."

"How did you do?" she asked.

"You see where I wound up."

"Oh, he dumped me on my ass too.
He’s better than us but not way better." She laughed and pulled me to my
feet. "Let’s go eat. I’m starved."

"And crazy."

* * *

"I haven’t told anyone my
conclusion. I thought you had a right to hear my reasoning, not just the final
decision," Tzadok said. The three captains stood behind him with Hada and me
facing them. "I’ve reviewed your six years with us and the eight before
that. I believe the reason neither of you could defeat the other was because
you have trained together for so long you know what each other is going to do
before they do. Yesterday was a test to determine which of you is the better
and should advance. I found you both somewhat better than you should be for
your stage of training. I attribute that to Hada’s father. I’m sure he trained
her in the basics, since she was too young to do more. But he never received
advance training and the two of you have developed your own unique techniques,
which have been further modified by our training. I found them very effective.
I overcame Rivka with a technique Hada countered effectively, and I overcame
Hada with a technique Rivka countered. My conclusion is that neither of you
cheated and that you are as close to equal as possible. Captain Kluger, I
recommend both be allowed to continue."

The three captains walked out of
hearing and talked for what seemed like an eternity. When they returned, Kluger
nodded to Hada and me.

"Congratulations. You will both be
allowed to continue. Of course, your promotion to Captain will depend upon your
performance in this segment."

I lay in bed that night unable to
sleep. No matter what happened in the upcoming last segment, the little girl
who no one wanted was an officer in the Black Guard. I had family—an
adopted sister who I loved and who loved me—and we were together. Instead
of destroying her dream, she had made me a part of it. Perhaps, her dream was
becoming mine, too.

* * *

The next two years flew by in what
seemed like months rather than years. Our fighting was confined to the captains
and occasionally Dragon Tzadok when he stopped in. He became our mentor,
showing us techniques he had developed over the years and critiquing our
performance after each fight. We still practiced a lot on our own. By the end
of the first year, we were much better than the three captains and our fighting
was limited to Tzadok and another Dragon, Dorbin. We practiced weapons speed
and accuracy daily, so I seldom missed what I aimed at even when both the
target and I were moving. We continued to practice establishing security for a
variety of situations with emphasis on command, and we had a lot of ’what if’
situations in the classroom and exercises where we were in command of a team. I
loved those years.

Hada stood beside me waiting for my shuttle. We had said our
goodbyes more times than I could count over the past week, but she had still
come to see me off. I was being assigned to the planet Lanzhou to guard the
governor of a state involved in a rebel uprising. Hada would leave tomorrow for
her assignment on the planet Odesso to provide palace security for a prince who
had several recent attempts on his life. I felt ten feet tall standing there in
my new uniform: black pants tucked into black-leather boots, black shirt with a
two red stars over a red dragon on the right sleeve. Guns strapped to both
thighs: a Jax laser and multi-functional weapon, Mfw. The Guard’s standard
multi-functional Interface, Mfi, strapped on my left arm, and a Dragon Whip
around my waist like a belt.

 
When the shuttle landed, Hada and I gave
each other one last hug. "I’m going to miss you," I said, my voice
gravelly with emotion.

"I’m going to miss you, Rivka,"
she said, as I stepped back and bowed. I owed her my life. Then I turned and
entered the shuttle. The navy petty officer saluted as I entered. There were
several men and women already on board, all noncommissioned commandos. The
first two rows were empty, so I took the first seat as was my right as the
ranking member on board.

The shuttle flight took several hours,
during which time I used my Mfi to review the layout of the cruiser, the War
Horse
,
that would transport me to Lanzhou, and the twenty-three person
team I would command: a Lieutenant, my second in command; two senior sergeants,
one for each ten person unit; and twenty privates and corporals—seven of
which were women.
I would command,
I smiled. Hada had trapped me in her
dream, and it was beautiful. It was time to quit feeling sorry for myself and
enjoy life. I was no longer a victim subject to the whims of others.
I was
in command.

The shuttle slowed, and when I looked
up, we were approaching the Jax space station, Adamah. I had seen pictures of
the structure but they couldn’t capture its magnificence or its size—six
massive silver wheels glistening against the blackness of space. Even with
forty or more cruisers and merchant ships attached, the station appeared empty.

Under the station’s control, the
shuttle slid into an open bay and settled gently. A few minutes later the green
light came on. The petty officer opened the door, and I strode down the ramp. A
commando corporal and lieutenant immediately came to attention and saluted. I
nodded. The Guard did not salute, since that took the hand too far from their
weapon, and never bowed lower than their ability to see the other person’s
eyes, unless it was a superior in the Guard. The guard were taught to be
paranoid, as they protected very important people and places and were always
outsiders.

The bay currently held four shuttles
like the one I had arrived in, standard transportation to and from the ship.
Only a few navy types were in the bay, clustered around one of the shuttles.

"If you will follow me, Captain, I
will take you to the commandos’ area where quarters have been prepared for you.
Colonel Wolfson would also like to talk to you. I’ll stop there first if you
don’t mind," the lieutenant said, waiting for my consent. The corporal was
apparently waiting to escort the other passengers to their quarters. I nodded
and the lieutenant began walking toward a door at the rear of the bay. I
watched my Mfi as he negotiated his way to the commandos’ area. When we
arrived, he stopped at a door with a commando guard, who knocked, stuck his
head inside, nodded, and opened the door. "Colonel Wolfson will see you
now, Captain."

The colonel stood, and I gave the
lowest bow I could without my eyes leaving his. His square, bulldog face
matched his broad shoulders and stocky, muscular physique. His eyes narrowed,
evaluating me as the door closed, leaving us alone.

"Welcome, Captain Sapir. There are
drinks on the sideboard. Please help yourself." He already had a cup of
something on his desk. I chose hot tea and sat in one of the two commando-blue
padded armchairs facing him. "It appears we are going to the same troubled
area, you to guard Governor Li Ho Lew while the army chases the rebels."

"Do we have an estimate of their
numbers and types of weapons?"

"It depends on who you talk to.
The rebels claim to number over two thousand. The Governor says it’s far less
than a thousand. The weapons are purported to be standard military grade
rifles. And except for a few air-scooters, they have no air capability."

"What’s their objective?"

"According to the rebels, it’s to
replace the local government."

"What about the ruling party on
Lanzhou?"

"They hired us. For their own
reasons, they don’t want to send government troops. Probably want to be able to
blame the Jax for any killings rather than the government. Since they hired
you, I assume they don’t want the governor killed. It feels like political
machinations."

"What forces does the governor
have?"

"A police force of several hundred
and an army of five hundred who are no better trained than the rebels."

"That sounds like the rebels have
support from outside the province. Do you think it’s more complicated than it
appears and might have planetary ramifications?"

"That’s my assessment. I know the
Guard is already paranoid, but when rebels are involved, you never know who you
can trust."

The colonel was right. Since the Guard
were always outsiders, they could not afford to trust anyone. Guard rules one
through ten—trust no one. We coordinated our Interface devices, and I
left to get settled. The same lieutenant waited and took me to the commandos’
training bay, pointing out exercise equipment in the gym, a shooting range,
fighting mats, and mockups of cruiser compartments. As I stood surveying the
area, a Guard corporal spotted me.

"Guard, attention," he
shouted and all the Guard in the area shot up and braced to attention. Everyone
else in the room also stood, although not at attention.

"At ease," I said. By the
look at the number of army personnel in the bay, the cruiser had twice its
normal one hundred. A Guard lieutenant marched up and bowed, his eyes lowered.

"Captain Sapir, I’m Lieutenant
Ceder, your second-in-command." He was several centimeters taller than me,
sinewy, and lean. "It’s a good team, Captain. We were assembled for a
contract on Jasper, but it was canceled at the last moment, so we were
transferred to the War Horse and reassigned to you.

"Lieutenant, I’d like to meet with
the team after I’ve had a chance to settle in my quarters. Say in one hour.
Send someone to get me, when you have everyone assembled, somewhere private."

His eyebrows rose, but he gave me an
amiable smile as he bowed. Normally, a captain would not concern herself with
anyone below sergeant. That would be tradition. But this was my command, and I
would make the rules.

"Certainly, Captain. This
way."

My room was in close proximity to the
bay. When I entered, he bowed and left. Space on cruisers was limited and with
the extra army troops everyone probably had to double up. I was therefore
surprised to find I had a room to myself which could easily accommodate two: a
standard bunk, comfortable chair, small storage cabinet, and a separate toilet,
which standard rooms didn’t have. I unpacked my luggage, washed, and changed
into a fresh uniform. In fact, the Guard had only one uniform for work, guard
duty, and special occasions. The only difference was on special occasions you
were allowed to wear decorations and awards.

I had just finished dressing when there
was a knock at the door. When I opened it, an older, broad-shouldered sergeant
bowed, his weathered face and eyes down cast.

"Captain, Lieutenant Ceder sent me
to show you to where the team is assembled when you are ready.

"Name, sergeant?"

"Rosin, sir," he said, and
waited. The Guard did not distinguish men from women—your superiors were "sir"
regardless of their gender.

"Lead on, Sergeant Rosin." I followed
him down several hallways to a large conference room.

"Room, attention," he shouted
as he opened the door, and the room went deathly silent.

"At ease and sit." I looked
around the room at each person before continuing—
this was now my
family
. I chose to remain standing. "We are the Guard. The elite of
the Jax military. We understand tradition and duty. Tradition is important. It
helps to maintain discipline which is essential in the military, and it helps
guide us in our day to day interactions. That makes it easy to believe tradition
and duty are the same." Looking around the room, I had their attention but
lots of questioning looks. "Let me give you a simple example. You and the
person you’re guarding, say a governor, are in a room when four men burst in
with guns. Jumping in front of the governor would be in the best tradition of
the Guard, but you would be doing your duty?" Most looked like they would
like to shout "yes" but understood that wasn’t the answer I was
looking for. And I was sure that had some of them were concerned about their
new captain.

"You kill a couple of the
attackers, maybe, and the attackers kill you… and afterward, the governor,
since you’re dead and can’t protect him. The same governor it was your duty to
protect. Of course, it depends upon the situation in the room, but better to
push him to safety, giving you the freedom to move, making yourself harder to
kill, drawing attention away from the governor, and positioning yourself to
kill all four. Duty versus tradition." I took a drink of my water to give
them a chance to think about what I had said.

"Another example. Private—"
I pointed to a tall, young female, who looked attentive and interested.

"Nadel, sir."

"Private Nadel sees a missile
coming at the building we are guarding. Imagine it’s a slow missile, and she has
sixty seconds before it hits and explodes. She contacts Corporal—" I
looked at a thirty-something man in front of me.

"Preis, Captain."

"Corporal Preis immediately
contacts Sergeant Rosin. Tradition. By now, the sixty seconds are up. Who
benefits, Nadel?" For several seconds, she stared at the table worrying
her lip with her teeth, then jerked her head up with a slight smile on her
lips.

"Me, Captain." Most of the
people around the table stared at her in disbelief.

"Correct. Private Nadel will have
a few seconds to find shelter, while Corporal Preis and Sergeant Rosin can’t because
they are trying to contact Lieutenant Ceder, who will die never knowing a
missile is coming. Following the chain of command—tradition. Running
screaming that a missile is coming would be duty—trying to save as many
of her team’s lives as possible." I took another drink of water while they
wrestled with their new commander’s idiosyncrasies. "Of course, those are
simple examples and circumstances would dictate the correct response, but my
point is that tradition and duty are not necessarily the same. And under my
command, duty has the highest priority."
Along with ensuring we don’t
waste lives for tradition. These are my family and there are no least favorites
or throw-aways.

* * *

Over the next five days, I talked to
each member of my team. Lieutenant Ceder had been on two assignments, one where
his team had foiled an assassination attempt. The senior sergeants, Rosin and
Solow, had both been on multiple assignments, a couple where one or more Guards
had been killed. All but five had been on at least one previous assignment. The
sergeants conducted training exercises every day, which Ceder monitored. I
merely watched, wanting to see them in action.

Captain Drezner, commander of the army
contingent going to Lanzhou, and I dined together twice to get to know each
other. He was an experienced leader, having been a captain for over ten years
and involved in multiple contracts. I found his stories about some of those
encounters interesting and enlightening. Reading about battles isn’t the same
as talking with someone who was there when friends and comrades were dying
around him.

* * *

Colonel Wolfson and Captain Drezner
were looking at a map as I walked into the shuttle bay. On the other side of
the bay, my team was assembling to leave the War Horse.

"Any news, Colonel Wolfson?" I
asked.

"Nothing good. The Captain of the
War Horse has agreed to stay in orbit for five days while Drezner assesses the
situation on the ground. I’m not sure if the one hundred contracted to Lanzhou
will be sufficient. If necessary, I can deploy commandos for additional
support. From the reports I’m getting, the rebels have captured the towns of
Baotou and Hefei and appear to be massing for an assault on the capital, Ebao.
The current estimate of the rebel force is at one thousand, which makes it
unlikely the governor’s forces can stop them without our help."

"To make matters worse, the
governor has pulled back most of his five hundred military and split them to
protect his estate and the administrative complex in Ebao, which means they
aren’t going to be much help to Captain Drezner when his troops drop in behind
the rebels," Wolfson said in disgust.