The Recruitment: Rise of the Free Fleet (61 page)

“Well to the first one we were basically forced to marry as with the Syndicate they have a marriage ceremony in which people from opposite sexes are picked to fight one another. If they don’t want a relationship the stronger one wins and the other dies. If they do then they have to fight to submit the other then declare their intentions. With Salchar I stabbed him in the gut and he knocked me out, then when he woke up he declared he would marry me. I of course said yes. James is a different kind of man.”

“James? I’m guessing Salchar’s name isn’t really Salchar.”

“It’s his gamer name, as mine is Sword Mistress.”

Even as the APC stopped Yasu and Carsickle talked walking around the building rather than going inside of it as Yasu explained to him what had happened to them since the time they’d been recruited to now. Leaving out any important military details as Carsickle leaned against a wall afterwards. Four bodyguards close by, two watching in, and two out.

“He sounds almost impossible.”

“Oh he is.” Yasu said a small smile on her face. “I don’t think anyone else could’ve done what he’s done no matter what he says.” She turned looking to Carsickle her eyes imploring.

“However impossible and annoying and damned right idiotic he is, he’s still our leader.” Her brow creased in thought.

“No he’s more than that; he is our hope, the hope for all of the races of the Free Fleet, for the hope of Chaleel. The hope for the people that where left on the side lines, those that were bullied, attacked and forced to do as others wished. He might not be the picture perfect hero you think, or the kind gentle soul you read about in fairy tales. He’s as hard as armour and as relentless as the sun and he will do everything in his power to keep those around him safe. As you can see here he is willing to give up his life to try and create peace between our people. While also co-coordinating a battle.”

“He does seem a little far away.”

“Oh, he’s actually running the battle through his internal implants he’s using your comms tower to do so.” She said with a grin.

“He’s in the middle of my camp watching feeds for mundane patrols.” Carsickle said shocked.

“With James nothing is as it seems. Wheels within wheels.” She said as if it explained everything as she read a text message from none other than James.

“Which is why I do as he asks me—most of the time.” She pulled a data pad from the holder on her lower back. With a few swishes and taps she handed it to Carsickle.

Rules, regulations, standards and practices of the Free Fleet.

“Why are you giving me this code?”

“Now you know what is to be expected of planetary forces if an emergency occurs in this system and we render aid. It also lists recruiting practices and I attached a recruiting drive form for multiple different civilian jobs.”

“Why would anyone want to listen to you and go into space with nothing more than your word?”

“It’s called trust. That code also lists all of the rules that a person in the free fleet should abide by. If a few people take a leap of faith then others will follow we need to rebuild the lost trust between your people and the fleet. Plus wouldn’t you feel safer if you knew that the fleet that’s protecting your area had people from your planet in it so it couldn’t deny Chaleel help if it wanted because the Chaleelians would rebel.”

“You want Chaleelians in your fleet?”

“We’ll take anyone with a clean record, are of age of consent and passes our tests.” Yasu said.

“Now could you show me where my errant husband is?”

“Certainly—this way.” Carsickle led the way to the command bunker. They were passed though security quickly.

They reached a blast door which double guards opened for them, Carsickle gesturing to Yasu as she looked inside. James was sitting in one of the seats behind the commander’s chair everyone around him staring at him uneasily as he mumbled, or talked without words. Alien gestures to those without implants. He looked up at her as she entered with a calm expression as if everything was going as planned.

“James! You damned irritable jackass!” She said stomping through the room. Carsickle’s eyebrows raising a hint of a grin on his face as the door closed behind her.

“I believe we’ll be using your conference room.” James/Salchar said as he nodded towards a door Yasu going in first and him following as he shut the door firmly.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She said as soon as the door was shut.

“Sitting in a conference room.” He said matter-of-factly.

‘You are that—smart ass. You’re also missing from your command position of the fleet.”

“Yes well we need to create trust between the Chaleelians and the fleet, this is the best way I could think of it. Otherwise these people will never accept the fleet.”

“So what if they don’t trust you, there are how many other systems that need your help?”

“There’s bound to be people that don’t like me, or us. We’ve got to understand that.”

She sat in the chair waiting for her in a sigh. “You have a point.” She said unwillingly looking away before coming back and meeting his eyes.

“Though you could’ve waited until
 
after
 
you had a check up with the medics about your leg. You don’t know if it’s bleeding internally. They might just have to leave you alone and you’ll kill yourself.”

“Ah.” His calm exterior showed fleeting embarrassment as he scratched his head, now his turn to look away.

“The doc told me to ask if you feel light headed, weak, have numbness in places and if you can feel your toes.”

“No on the light headed, I was a bit weak but I’m fine now I have numbness in my side but I think that’s from my ribs cutting some nerve endings and I can feel my toes and move them.” He demonstrated bringing his foot up a way and wiggling his toes in the thin shoes he wore.

“I’ll tell the doc so as soon as I get back.” He nodded his assent as his gaze sharpened and he turned to her.

“Is everything good with the fleet? Have you started the recruiting drive yet?” She knew he knew everything so far, but she also knew how he liked to use others as sounding boards, even if it was just him talking to himself.

“Fleets fine, Ricks running everything in the black. Henry’s pretty much got everything on the ground covered Iron Bok Soo’s working with him Takahashi is on reserve.”

“Have you seen Bok Soo?”

“No he’s been moving from power plant to power plant and as soon as I heard you were arrested I demanded to see you.” His eyebrows lifted in surprise at this.

“I’ve told you before the fleet need you, you can’t be here. It’s shaken the fleet.”

“They will learn to cope without me for a few days. If and when I do stop being commander they’ll need to know how to react when I’m not there.”

“It would still be nice to know when you decide on letting yourself get taken hostage!” Yasu yelled back, crossing her arms.

“Yeah I should’ve warned people. But what’s done is done.” He shrugged.

The door opened as bodyguards and then the shadow leader walked into the room. Yasu instantly felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise up at the sight. Equally disturbed by their entrance as by the fact James hadn’t moved at all and barely acted as if anyone had entered the room. His eyes and body looked relaxed. The type of relaxed a veteran fighter looked before they’re about to pounce.

“I came to make sure you weren’t coupling, your race being so barbaric I wasn’t sure that we could stop you from trying to mate if you were.” He smirked as Yasu flinched.

“You’re the leader of these people and you’re making jokes about our mating habits, shouldn’t you have more pressing matters on your mind. If I was you I would be thinking about the fleet above my head and the military force that is two times your own and better equipped.” Yasu knew this wasn’t true but dismissed it as she was unconsciously figuring out how to subdue the people in the room. There was an edginess to them that she hadn’t felt even when around Carsickle and his highly trained bodyguards.

“For your information and please pass this on. I haven’t mated once, I’ve never had sexual intercourse I’m a virgin and I haven’t coupled with my wife. If you talk about my sexual activities in a derogatory way again under the free fleet code, conduct rules and standards I will charge you with sexual harassment.” Salchar growled, anger filling his voice.

The politicians smirk turned grim.

“You lie with every breath, fleet code. Hah! You have no code, or honour. My troops could kill you with a single order from me!” He snarled.

“You look a little confused.” James gone and Salchar’s mask in place as he turned from the politician to Yasu.

“Did you distribute the CCRS?”

“I gave a copy to Carsickle I was meaning to have it posted online we’ve been busy getting rid of the Syndicate forces.”

“Ah I see, please see to it that it is posted for people to view. But as I know Carsickle he would’ve tried to bring this information to you, so it seems that you weren’t able to get information readily available to you. That is something you should endeavour to work on. Information is of vital importance, especially the CCRS as you will serve a term, possibly in space and in the majority away from your home for the duration. I will let any infractions to the CCRS go for now within reason. But work to attain a copy of the CCRS at your earliest convenience.” Salchar’s voice cold his red eyes burning into the politicians.

The shadow leader had regained his composure losing his forward drive that the insult would’ve given him as it was truly and utterly stonewalled. Embarrassed and shame faced, his mocking became anger.

“You and your whore will not get any special treatment here.” Yasu watched as James’ face became an icy mask.

“Say one more thing that goes against the code and I will have you arrested if I have to bring Resilient into the atmosphere and dig you out. I know that in desperate times people will turn to those that seem to have a plan.” James crossed his arms.

“Yet in peaceful times people don’t want a ruler that is willing to wage war. Do they?” The leader looked apoplectic as Salchar continued.

“It is in the leader’s best interest in war-time, if they desire to continue to be in power is to do two things, create a new threat or win completely. Now with my appearance and the offer of protection that takes away the new threat, though your propaganda machine is working to remember that. Then you are not allowed to win completely as my forces are already clearing your planet. So at best you come out with a half-win. Good so far?” Salchar asked rhetorically as he began pacing.

“So then, that leaves me as the Commander of Fleet in orbit of your planet and you as a short-lived official that worked from behind the scenes to ready people for a battle that never came.”

The Chaleelian shadow leader changed from looking offended to laughing.

Yasu and Salchar looked at him in confusion. He crossed his hands.

“There’s one problem,” He fired a pistol through his jacket killing one guard to his right, the one on his left was too stunned to react as the politician turned and shot him too.

“I never worked for the people of Chaleel. I was recruited by the Syndicate long ago.” He pulled a pistol identical to the one in his hand from a guard’s belt, putting it in his hidden holster.

“While you two ended the Syndicate occupation of Chaleel you will also prove to be good trophies to get me in the good graces of the Syndicate again, and then when they return then I can take over my position as shadow leader again.”

“What about the Free Fleet?”

“What about them? The Syndicate will easily push them aside. No one can defeat the Syndicate, not even the Union could.” He shot James who curled in a ball on the ground, a hole through his stomach. Yasu didn’t think as she pulled a needle thin clip that held her hair from her bun and at the shadow leader. It hit his arm, making him shoot the desk as Salchar let a roar go. He ripped the desk from the floor using it like a shield as he charged the leader who fired into the heavy metal table. Unable to penetrate it. Salchar threw it at him as he dove with a yelp. Salchar jumped using his claws and the roof to swing down onto the shadow leader.