The Recruitment: Rise of the Free Fleet (62 page)

“Don’t kill him James.” Yasu said as soothingly as possible as she saw the wild look in his eyes as he took a few breaths to calm himself. The shadow leader was whimpering, a stain spreading through his clothes. Yasu’s own adrenaline was abating as she realized there was someone banging on the door.

“Open it.” Salchar said, his claws retracting.

Yasu did getting pinned to the floor as combat geared soldiers covered Salchar. For a second she thought they were going to fire.

“Someone get over here with a goddamn camera.” Salchar demanded. A few seconds later General Carsickle walked in the room looking at the damage.

“What do you need a Camera for?” He asked calmly.

“To picture this assholes weapon still in hand.” Any rifles that had lowered snapped up as General Carsickle moved around the far side of the room.

“Camera!” He barked as one was quickly passed to him as he took multiple photos.

“You can release him now.”

“He took the pistol of one of the guards and has it in a hidden holster. His wrists are broken.” With that Salchar backed up and rolled so he was facing the floor away from the shadow leader his hands spread out. Three guards pounced on him and secured his arms with triple cuffs.

“He killed the guards and he was about to kill me when you broke in!” The shadow leader sounded shaken as soldiers moved in on him, the pistol still lying at his feet. A soldier kicked it away before searching for and finding the second pistol. He held it back as someone bagged it. Salchar went as straight as a board pushing the three soldiers on top of him off as he flipped over. Blood came from his wound as slowly around pushed out of his stomach. The skin quickly pulled together as he settled down, clearly exhausted.

“The hell was that?” Someone asked Yasu unable to see them because of her head being pressed into the floor.

“Hell fire, his battle suit must have activated it because he was injured.”

“Get them in secure holding cells until we know what the hell is going on. Update our Fleet liaison.” Carsickle said.

“Also have someone look into the shadow leaders affairs.”

“You can’t do that General without a permit from the council of judges.”

“If you will remember you enacted the war accords. With that I am able to motivate and use any resource to know the intention of the enemy. Thus I don’t need to ask the council of judges. Secure him as well.” With that he walked out as they were all frog marched to holding cells with the Shadow leader demanding that Carsickle be replaced and reprimanded, and he released.

None listened to him as he was thrown into his cell.

“Sorry about this all Yasu.” Salchar said, still clearly physically drained.

“I didn’t marry a man that wouldn’t fight for what he believed in.” She thought she saw a glimmer of a grin as they were tossed in separate cells.

When someone opened the door I actually dreaded it.

“Just a bit more.” I said, rolling over on the floor in an attempt to block out the light.

“Ahem.” The person said as I looked up at them, finding General Carsickle. With a sigh I pushed myself to the wall and rested against it.

“So what did you find?”

“He was a syndicate operative through and through, we were able to find communication devices and links to other groups which were brought down with the information from him. Also one of the guards made it and when he woke up he was able to collaborate with what happened.” I nodded along as Carsickle looked distinctly uncomfortable.

“I personally am ashamed at what has happened, I offer you my apologies. I also offer the apologies of the Chaleelian government. The Governor wishes to talk with you at the earliest convenience to talk about Chaleel and the Free Fleets path from here.”

I yawned as I picked myself up, looking at my cut battle suit leg from losing my leg, the rips from battle and the bloody hole from being shot. Oddly enough nothing hurt; even with the hell fire it was usual to have some residual pain.

Though from my tiredness of not having my constant infusions of wake up I was left zombie-like.

“Do you need anything?”

“Some water?” I said pulling my hair back as Yasu was walked out of her cell and quickly came over to me.

“Of course.” He turned to a guard who grabbed a bottle from his belt.

“We can return you to your tank.”

“No worries, I’m staying here for the duration.” I said.

“I’ll stay too.” Yasu said as Carsickle guided us back to the command centre.

***

Yasu watched as James walked back out into the command bunker working the room like a pro. With nothing more than a smile and a few comments everyone in the command centre relaxed.

She sat in a chair to the side, watching as everyone he talked to seemed to brighten. She talked with the guards that had been posted with her about their tactics and weaponry.

The day turned to night as Yasu and James were escorted to a single room and a shared bed. For the first time in months they were alone in a bedroom. Yasu didn’t say anything as she dropped onto the bed and got comfortable.

James sat on a seat his eyes becoming unfocused as he used his implants his mouth moving as he communicated with ships and the ground forces.

Grumbling Yasu got out of bed. He looked at her puzzled.

“You get some sleep I have first watch, if anything happens I’ll tell you.”

“Well, I have…”

“I’m not going to offer twice.” Yasu said dangerously. James nodded.

“First take a shower.”

“Yes ma’am.” James said finding the head and taking a quick shower. Yasu watched as he emerged from the shower wearing only a towel, his loose hair covering his left eye, the rest of his body glistening showing off the muscle that covered his body. There were scars visible. She hissed as she saw the one from where she’d stabbed him and the one across his leg.

“What?” He asked as he was getting into bed.

“Why did you have that scar put back on?” She asked.

“Well we might not have rings but this connects me to you. You will always be my wife and this proves it.”

“Get some sleep; don’t know when something will happen.” Yasu said confusion filling her behind her mask. Brushing it aside as he put the towel aside, making her whip her head to the door in embarrassment.

His lazy two finger salute went unseen as he climbed into bed. She monitored the goings on of the Free Fleet for a while before she watched him as he slept.
 
I wish someone else could watch the damned door.
 
The bed looks much more comfortable.
 
Startled by her own thoughts she quickly went back to studying the door and her reports.

***

I woke slowly actually having time to wake up as I looked around the room. Yasu was barely keeping her eyes open and light was streaming through the windows.

I brought my implants online. Seeing the time I jumped out of bed. Yasu dropped to a combat stance.

“It’s been eight hours!”

“You needed it.” Yasu said getting to her feet yawning before quickly looking away. “Clothes might be a good idea.” She sighed angrily.

“Ah.” My new body made me constantly forget when I wasn’t wearing clothes as I beat a hasty retreat to the bathroom putting on the battle suit and the leg section.

“All of the Syndicate forces in orbit have been taken. The ground forces likewise. Takahashi led a night raid and finished off the last syndicate stronghold. We’re having our Sarenmenti try to convince their brethren the truth with limited results. As it’s not safe to let them go it’s been suggested that we take them to Parnmal station for a term of service.” Yasu briefed me as I walked out.

“The factory has begun working on the elevators. The Chaleelians are asking to trade their three corvettes and destroyer for two corvettes and cruiser. They want something immediately in their system patrolling. I looked at the specs of the ships, they’re better than what we have, they’re going to need work and they haven’t been used in a generation so we need to get Eddie to kick start all of them. Though it’s still three more ships.”

“First it’s your turn to take a shower, its real water.” She studied me for a second.

“’Git!” She was quickly in the bathroom shutting the door as I began pacing and thinking.
 
 
I contacted Rick as I waited.

“I heard about the trade, I want you to go over the numbers but I’ll leave it to you to okay or nix it.” I said.

“Alright I’ll have a decision shortly. Also the Chaleelians new governor is in place and wants to extend his apologies to you personally and announce a partnership with the Free Fleet in stopping the Syndicate threat.” Rick said.

“When?”

“This afternoon.”

“Great, have we had any response with the recruiting drive?”

“Yes, limited so far but I have no doubt it will pick up. Most people have signed up for sleep training on ways to fix the elevator. Also farming and general space classes have picked up.”

“That’s good but doesn’t really help us.” I grumbled.

“I think it does. There are millions of people volunteering for the elevators and more are planned than before. Though those will dry up and people will be looking for work. Avar is still making their elevator which is going at a snail pace, and then we need to interlink asteroids. The same thing with the station and the docks.” He said.

“It will make them have to go to other places to make money, create connections with other systems and bring the systems together. Plus with the space engineering we could use them for Parnmal projects, thus taking the people we need for the Fleet back and helping without manpower issues. Rick, you genius.” I said with a real smile for the first time in weeks.

“We’ll talk later.” I said as I heard the shower turn off.

“Sure thing boss man.” He said.

“Now when are we going back to the fleet?” Yasu said from the shower doorway, her battle suit back on.

“Today, now that the threat has lifted we need to communicate with Monk and ready ourselves for the next leg of our journey.” The water didn’t even turn off as Yasu put her head around the door.

“You don’t mean?”

“Next stop Earth!” I said with a grin as Yasu dove back in the head already ordering transport as she got into her battle suit.

I was wearing a new battle suit with Yasu beside me as me and the Governor shook hands. We’d been talking for the last four days. The first recruiting ship a massive hauler had made its jump in-system the day before. We had twelve thousand eager recruits to go back to Parnmal, and supplies that the fleet badly needed coming in.

“armoured Marine Commandos. Preeeesent, ARMS!” Henry bellowed as weapons were snapped upwards and then grasped in a synchronous movement. I felt nothing but pride in my chest at the display of the fifteen thousand Commandos and three thousand Avarians.

I gave them my two finger salute.

“Retaaaaaain, ARMS!” Henry bellowed again.

“Paraaaaaade, Dis—missed!” They all turned, their boots falling as one with a thunderclap as they marched out, each step sounding like a rail cannon firing as they reached the exit of the stadium we were in they broke down, grinning smiling and yelling to one another. No doubt happy with the three days leave I’d given to them.

“Damn they do look good.” The Governor said looking out at them with me.

“They fight better than they look.” I said as I looked out over the Commandos. I could pick out the humans out of the mass, their armour with different joints than the Sarenmenti, smaller bodied than the Kuruvians and not the printed and toughened battle suits of the Avarians.

Together we’d gone through recruitment and training, we’d saved two planets taken a station and pulled a fleet from nothing. We’d freed other races and brought others from the brink of destruction. The Syndicate would come with enough time, there was nowhere to run but we would fight them, tooth and nail side by side we would. First we needed to free our own worlds and gather more allies. We’d need everything in the oncoming war.

Hi! Hoped you liked the book! Please rate and let me know if you’d like me to make this into a series and for others to know what’s in store for them! Thanks!

Mike Chatfield