The Black Guard: Book II: Evolution (Black Guard Series 2) (13 page)

"Unless I'm wrong, they are either all on the first
floor or the second, depending on their strategy. Makes no sense to split their
force." I wondered how that would make a difference to the Guard's timing.
I laughed mentally. I only had to worry if they were on the second floor.
"We will follow the first wave in, General," I said, deciding not to
give the raiders any more time to get ready for us.

Issak nodded.

Just then, a combat shuttle appeared hovering ten meters
above the ground and less than thirty meters from the building. I clicked on my
Mfi. "Elijah, get ready. We're going in now!" I said as the delivery
panel exploded inward and twenty army-commandos charged through the gapping
panel. I rose and ran to keep up, sensing my detail were on my heels. I felt
drained, like I was running through sand.

The army flowed into the silent room filled with
machines—but no people.

I turned right toward the stairs and elevator. To my
relief, the stairs were not enclosed but open to the top. Halfway up and still
hidden by a filled in two-meter wall on the second floor, I stopped and used a
small black light to check the stairs and saw a laser beam at the top. I pulled
out a flash star and checked behind me.

Catz and Nadel stood there with stars in their hands.

I turned, threw, and covered my closed eyes with my
hands.

Seconds later, the room filled with the sound of Mfws
spewing projectiles and exploding shells. The second-floor partition shielding
the stairway slowly disintegrated as hundreds of bullets and exploding shells
hit it. I suspected the shooters were blind and just shooting in the direction
they had been positioned, hoping to hit something. We threw three more stars upstairs
and waited for the count of five. More firing followed, producing head-sized
holes in the walls and completing the destruction of the inside partition.

I cupped my hands and Nadel put her foot into them as we
waited for the inevitable lull when clips emptied. When only random shots could
be heard, I boosted her up and over the destroyed partition.

She sprinted left, firing as she ran, drawing the
gunfire in her direction as the shooters, still unable to see because of the
star-flash, fired in the direction of the sound of her Mfw.

I boosted Judt and then Catz up, who quietly found cover
to the right. I then got a boost from Click. On my signal, Judt and Catz opened
fire while I moved left and found cover. I could see the raiders had found
cover some twenty meters from the elevator and stairs.

It looked like Nadel had killed two on her sprint left
before sliding behind a wooden bench. Judt and Catz had drawn the fire back
toward the right and had killed two more as I moved to the left.

I shot another I could see from my position who was
rubbing his eyes, unaware he was exposed. I knew that by now the raiders' eyes
would be regaining some sight, except for the few who thought rubbing their
eyes would help. The last two Guards gained the landing as I reached Nadel.

Now it felt like target qualification. Because of our
current positions, they couldn't raise up to aim without exposing themselves
and giving one of us a clear shot. Three more went down in rapid succession.
Afterward the room became deathly quiet.

The remaining six appeared content to wait us out.

I nodded to Nadel and we moved along the wall deeper into
the building, hoping to get behind the remaining raiders.

The left-most raider saw us. "They're on our right,
behind us!" He spun to bring his Mfw to bear on us just as Nadel put two
rounds through his head.

Nadel and I dove for cover as raiders opened fire while keeping
their heads down.

But Catz and Judt were racing along the right wall and
soon began firing as the raiders became visible. They killed two, which caused
the remaining three to panic. They made a foolish attempt to run deeper into
the building and better cover. They didn't make it as seven Guards opened fire.

"Make sure they are dead and there are no
more," I said as I walked over to the walkway and dismantled the
explosives the raiders had rigged to kill anyone coming through. When I looked
around, everyone looked functional, although I was certain several of the team
had been hit by either a projectile or flying shrapnel. Smiling, I walked back
to the stairs and dismantled the explosives at the top of the stairs. Looking
down, I saw Issak looking up.

"Is it clear to come up?"

"Yes, sir. The second floor is clear." Now
that the adrenaline had eased, my body felt on fire and every movement produced
pain. I suddenly felt weak and gave a weak laugh when I saw my bandages were
soaked with blood. But it was a good day, a very good day because there were no
deaths—that counted.

"How many?" Issak asked as he reached the top.

"Fourteen."

 
"The
two raider cruisers have been neutralized. One was totally destroyed; marines
are now boarding the other one. I imagine they had a rough time of it. Those
raider cruisers were well armed."

"How did you fare, General?" I asked, curious
as to a general's feeling about the troops under him. My impression was that Colonel
Lothar considered them pawns.

"Thanks to you and the Black Guard, our losses were
small. We lost four when we cleared the first floor of the main building.
Without you, clearing the building of forty raiders would have resulted in many
more deaths, and I doubt half of the hostages would have survived. Although
tradition sometimes demands needless deaths, I don't like it. I hate to admit
it, Sapir, but you save lives, so I will shamelessly call for your help
whenever I can. I'm sorry."

"The Guard is my family, but knowing you don't do
it to look good helps, sir." I liked Issak. He, like Commander Wexler,
considered the army family, and I'd wager he would be monitoring Colonel Lothar's
future assignments. I wouldn't be surprised to find the colonel behind a desk
in the not too far future.

"Let's get you and your troops to the medical
station and get them checked out. The cruisers aren't going to be available for
a day or two. They will need time to repair their damage and see to their dead
and wounded."

* * *

Two shuttles appeared within minutes, and we were flown
to a Heibei hospital where the Jax army medical unit had set up in anticipation
of casualties. I noticed that the hostages had been taken to the same facility
but were being treated by the Heibei hospital staff.

"Captain Sapir, I'm Doctor Handlin. I understand I
can thank you for my lack of patients," said an elderly, gray-haired man
as he entered the cubical and pulled the curtain shut. "Not that I'm
complaining. I'll get paid the same and will sleep much better tonight."
He smiled. "If you'll strip out of that body armor, I'll have a look. It's
great underwear, but while it usually stops penetration wounds, it doesn't
negate impact." He spent the next hour cleaning open wounds, removing
shrapnel, applying sutures, and bandaging them and a fractured rib. "I'm recommending
some time in the cruiser's Rehab Unit to help accelerate the healing process."

He must have given me a sedative of some kind, because when
I woke up I was in a room and light was streaming in through the window,
indicating it was morning. Just then a young woman walked in with a tray of
food and shortly afterward, Doctor Handlin.

"How are my troops, Doctor?" I knew no one had
died, but ...

"You'll be happy to know you were in the worst
shape of the bunch." He laughed. "I thought you could use the sleep,
since your assignment was over and you seemed determined to run off and see
your team and undo all my beautiful work," he said looking amused.
"Your uniform is in the closet, but eat first. You have a couple of hours
before the shuttles will be here to transport you to the Black Leopard."

True to his word, the shuttles arrived around noon, and
we were delivered to the cruiser two hours later. It was obvious as we approached
the Leopard that it had seen action recently—several exterior areas had
temporary patches, and our shuttle had to use one of the fighter bays, as the
shuttle bay was not functional. On the walk through the inside corridors, I
could smell the lingering aroma of melting metal, flux, and gas, and I could see
areas of distorted superheated metal. I shuddered at the thought of the deaths
that must have resulted from the explosions that caused that damage. My
sympathy went out to the captain and the colonel. I agonized over each death,
while they had to contend with tens if not hundreds in a cruiser engagement.
Inside the marine area, the mood was sober with men and women standing or
sitting in small groups talking—most in soiled uniforms, and many
bandaged. I went directly to my room, not wanting to impose upon their grief.

* * *

In the morning, I learned that the Black Leopard had
incurred the most damage of the three Jax cruisers, although the other two had also
suffered damages and deaths. The Leopard had lost fifty-five navy and nineteen
marines. The Sabretooth had lost forty-one sailors and fifteen marines, and the
Lynx had lost twenty-eight navy and six marines. Fifty percent of the marines
on the Leopard and Sabretooth had been lost in boarding the raider's ship after
they had lost power.

I couldn't help but wonder if this would accelerate the
new weapons qualification procedures throughout the fleet that General Lerman
had initiated on the Deathstalker. How many would have been saved if they all
had qualified with one hundred percent accuracy?
One life saved would make it worthwhile!
I shouted mentally as I
left the Leopard at Adamah and headed for the shuttle that would take me to
Sasser Mountain.

My detail was in a good mood on the way down. It had been
a successful assignment from their perspective—no one had been killed and
they had looked like the professionals they were. I agreed with them but couldn't
help but lament every Jax death that could have been avoided. My black mood
lightened when I saw Hada waiting for me to exit the shuttle.

"Commander Wexler says we can leave as soon as you
hand in your after-action report," she said, giving me a hug. "I
would have packed your clothes but you don't have anything but uniforms."
She laughed but quieted as she held me at arms-length. "What's wrong? You
didn't lose anyone, did you?" Her lips moved like she was counting my
detail over my shoulder as they filed out.

"No. The Guard had a near perfect mission; however,
the Jax Navy and Marines lost over two hundred."

"As you've told me more than once, we're in a
killing profession." She maintained eye contact with me.

"True, but seventeen of the marines died during a boarding
action. I can't help but wonder how many of those marines would have survived
if their weapons training were closer to ours?" It wasn't our problem, but
...

"Come, sister." Hada hooked her arm through mine
and propelled me down the trail. "I'll help you write the damn report. We'll
bring in snacks and stay up all night. It'll be fun, and you're in desperate
need of a vacation." She laughed, but her eyes looked sad.

I agreed. I needed a rest from death.

True to her word, Hada reappeared with a two-day supply
of snacks and drinks. Within a few hours, it was like a party. As I recounted
what had happened, Hada organized it into a legible report. By daybreak, the
report was finished and I hand-carried it to Wexler's secretary and went to
bed. In the process, we had discovered an innovative and fun way to write
after-action reports.

"I'm excited, Rivka," Hada said, her arm
locked in mine as we made our way to the landing pad to catch the shuttle the
Guard ran from Sasser Mountain to the city of Cordo.

"I'm terrified. I know I need to develop a life
outside the Guard, but it ... it feels like when I was six and the man came to
collect me for the military. I don't know what to expect."

"I'm as clueless as you." Hada laughed like a
young girl going to her first party. "My sisters have offered to help, so
it'll be like a surprise party with family."

"That's what I'm afraid of. I hate surprises."
I scowled to make my point.

She laughed. "Surprises can be good. Anyway, your
sister will be with you for support."

The shuttle was an on-demand service and was waiting
when we arrived. It left shortly after we boarded, and we arrived in Cordo two
hours later. From there we bought Air Express tickets to Avivo and then we took
a skimmer taxi to Hada's home on the other side of the city, where her parents
owned a small clothing store and temple devoted to teaching old-Earth Tibetan
Buddhism.

"What do you think your sisters have planned?"
I asked as the skimmer neared our destination.

"Think of it as another one of those masquerade
parties you're so fond of pulling on your assignments. We're going to
masquerade as civilians."

"Can we wear Mfws in case they find out we're
not?" I was trying to look serious but broke out into a laugh at Hada's
stunned silence.

She hit me on the arm then joined me in laughing as we
marched down the street. To my surprise, the people we passed seemed to find it
amusing. I felt relaxed by the time we reached the Attali house, having good
memories from my last visit and how they had treated me as one of the family.
They must have heard us coming, because Mei stood in the open doorway shaking
her head.

"Have you two been drinking?" asked Hada's
sister, scrutinizing each of us.

Hada grabbed her around the waist and twirled her in a
circle.

"Yes, from the fountain of happiness. We're home,
among family, and ready for an exciting adventure."

As Hada put Mei down, her older sister, Lui, and mother,
Daiyu, appeared. They looked to have been cooking, judging from the aprons they
were wearing. We were pulled into the house and given warm hugs of welcome. Food
and drinks appeared.

"An interesting problem," Daiyu said when
everyone had settled down in their small but cozy living room with its old but
comfortable couch, three mismatched upholstered chairs, and multicolored rugs
scattered around the room. "Like Mei or Lui asking you to be taught to be
a soldier." She held up her hand to stop Hada or me from reacting.

I could actually see her point. We had each spent years
becoming what we were and in a sense weren't going to change.

"Like Hada's father, you will always be Guard, and
like him, you want to learn to be comfortable around civilians and be able to
enjoy some of their activities. That, we can help with."

* * *

The next three weeks were exciting, terrifying, and
amusing. The first few days we spent shopping for civilian attire, which proved
comical. All Hada and I had were military clothing. Everything we had was black,
so just finding a color we liked required trying on every color. In the end,
Hada tended toward pastels and browns, whereas I tended toward the darker reds,
purples, and blues. We both liked wide skirts, probably for ease of movement.
Mei dragged us to a hairstylist, but in the end we stayed with short styles
that were easy to maintain.

Money was not a problem, as neither Hada nor I ever
spent any. Our bank accounts were more than adequate, so we bought what we liked
with little regard to cost and paid for everyone's expenses when we went out.

Over the next couple of weeks, they took us to theaters,
local events, and out to eat at a variety of restaurants. We were taught to
dance and were taken to a nightclub one night. That was terrifying. Even though
the dancing was fast with little contact, men as equals and potential mates
proved scarier than a firefight. Daiyu was right; our inexperience was most
obvious in making conversation—like a tiger talking with a deer. My
experiences were of combat, weapons, and military life, while all the men I
talked to knew about were non-violent work, entertainment, and civilian life.
And then there was the mating-dance that I didn't know anything about and had
to ask Mei or Lui every time I got a chance.

"What did he mean by … Was that appropriate
touching … What are the acceptable dating norms?" I found my six-year
family upbringing battling my Guard's equality between men and women.

"Well, Rivka, what do you think?" Hada asked
one night as our vacation was coming to an end.

"Your mother and sisters have been wonderful. I
hate to think of trying to adjust to civilian life on my own. I feel like I did
when I was six and got sent to Camp Lozn."

"I've loved being with my family and my favorite
sister." She squeezed my hand and smiled. "But I agree with you.
There were times when I felt like an animal in a zoo."

"If your family doesn't mind, I think we need a lot
more of these sessions before we are ready to be let loose on the civilian
population," I said, knowing I wouldn't feel comfortable on my own in
public—without my Mfw, Mfi, and protective underwear. I couldn't help a
laugh.

"I think they have enjoyed taking us around. And
they agree we aren't ready for show time." She laughed. "How is my
father doing on converting you to Buddhism?"

"I like the concept and that Buddha did not claim
to be a god but a man who taught a path to enlightenment from his own experiences.
But I'm not sure about some of the ceremonies," I said, still struggling
with the concept.

"Buddhists frequently pay respect to images of
Buddha, but not in worship or to ask favors. They do it in respect and
gratitude for his teaching," Hada said.

"That's true. In a way, it's like becoming a dragon.
Buddha teaches that the solutions to our problems are within us. And each
person must decide for herself and take responsibility for her own actions and
understanding. But that is what makes it so difficult. It would be so much
easier to follow preset customs and doctrine, which probably explains why
religions tend to have them."

Hada laughed. "Sounds like the path to dragonhood
is the path to Buddhism."

"Maybe, and that's why I'm having so much trouble
with it—I'm trying to force an answer rather than testing the teachings
for myself as Buddha suggests." I hugged her, feeling fortunate to have
her in my life.

We said our goodbyes later that week and were assured
they were looking forward to our return and helping us continue our
indoctrination into civilian life.