Interloper (The Askirti Chronicles Book 1) Page 5

  Have a seat? Did I really just open the door?

  “Jackie, Rachel and I were talking about the academy days!” she laughed. “You remember when Ms. Manchester came to class with blue hair?” Emilia laughed more.

  This time Jackie laughed too. It was so unexpected and rarely happened.

  ##

  Some time later, Rachel and Emilia were still hanging out, trading boy stories. Neither of them was married, but both very much available.

  “I would just kill to have Jackie’s looks, Emilia. Nobody has that look, and I don’t think anybody could pull it off that well!”

  “Like you have anything to worry about,” Emilia retorted.

  Lieutenant Rachel Mansfield was taller than Jackie, if only by a small margin. She had long black hair, pale white skin, blue eyes, and a very womanly figure. She was a knock-out. The sultry voice only added to the list of reasons for the men around her to stumble and stutter.

  “Look, I’m comfortable in my own skin, but when she walks in the room, I don’t even exist. Not to the men present that is.”

  “I know what you mean,” Emilia responded. “She’s quite stunning! Good thing I never had to compete with her for dates!”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She has always been ‘unavailable.' Even though the boys at the academy would follow her around like little puppies, she never bit. Once when we were drunk, and I mean really drunk, she told me she was married before.”

  The look of shock on Rachel’s face was evident. “Wait. You mean the Ice Queen was in love before! You mean someone loved her?” She had a difficult time thinking this woman was ever in a relationship.

  “We’ve all got our secrets. I don’t know why she’s so…distant…these days. Our friendship at the time was quite good. And believe it or not, she has a wicked sense of humor! But I always felt there was a wall somewhere in there. Something nagging at her. It was that night when we both had way too much that there was a crack in the dam. Only a small one, mind you, but it was there. She told me she was happily married before, that he was the love of her life. She told me she watched him die.”

  “Oh my God,” Rachel said solemnly.

  “Oh my God is right. She wept, Rachel. Yeah, we were drunk, but the Ice Queen wept. She wouldn’t tell me anything else. I knew enough at that point to know there was more to it, but I also know when not to push. She was my friend, Rachel. She is my friend, even if she doesn’t seem to remember it. We have served together on this ship for two years. I was shocked to come here and find out people had such a nasty name as ‘Ice Queen’ for her. I was outraged. Then I saw how shutdown she was and I began to understand why people felt that way. She shut down completely and shut everyone out, even me. Do you know tonight is the first time since I’ve been on board I’ve seen her laugh? I don’t know that it’ll happen again, but for a little while tonight I had my friend back.”

  “I had no idea that side of her existed!” Rachel exclaimed. “She never shows emotion, and avoids contact with the crew in her free time. She’s quite intimidating!”

  “Listen, it’s easy to judge people on what we see. But honestly, knowing a bit of what she’s lost, I’m surprised she’s made it this far and held it together. I was there when she was soft, Rachel. And I will be there when she comes back. That’s what friends do, we stand together and back one another up.”

  ##

  Rachel went back to her cabin; her heart was heavy. Had she misjudged her XO? She never met someone so void of emotion, especially a woman. Serving with her had been downright frightening, she could be so intimidating with her cold stare, and no emotion to let you know if she approved or was ready to flush you out of an airlock!

  Rachel was an idealist. She deeply loved the Federation. She was not unaware of the flaws in the Federation no more than she was unaware of the flaws on her ship. She just always thought about what it could be, and how everyone needs to work together to have ideals that live up to intentions.

  That Jacqueline Campo was a real person who could be loved only strengthened her resolve. She always saw her XO as a problem, whose removal would make her life easier. But now, well, an all-new context was shown to her. Perhaps Jackie was not so different from herself, just sadder life experiences. Maybe if she continued softening up, they might be friends one day.

  Rachel comforted herself at that thought as she laid down to sleep that evening.

  ##

  Emilia went back to her cabin in a very different frame of mind. Unlike her shipmate, Rachel, she was a pragmatist. She had her fun, quirky side, but felt she saw things the way they were.

  She tried to encourage Rachel that Jackie was softening up, but she knew that was unlikely. She cornered her academy friend with a witness and Jackie played along. Even if it was all fake, she still enjoyed the illusion her friend was back.

  Emilia was familiar with illusions because she worked for the secret police. She was busy thinking about her conversation with Jackie and Rachel while preparing her weekly report back to Intelligence.

  Ugh, it was a pain making these reports. And it is not like the intelligence officers have any real power these days.

  A hundred years ago they were to be feared. Nowadays, it seems their reports go to some paper pusher who throws it into the abyss.

  Nothing to report out here chasing pirates! Dysfunctional friends and a captain second to none, who also got the royal shaft! She wished she could include that in her report.

  She thought for a moment about a request for information on Jackie, just to satisfy her curiosity. She quickly dismissed it as it was a gross abuse of power. But what she would do to find out more about her friends lost love!

  Jackie seemed blind to another man’s attraction. Marine Commander Rick Amori had his company transferred to the Colt. He was incredibly handsome and well built. If only he would look at her the way she noticed him looking at Jackie, well, that would be grand!

  But she hoped her friend got her head out of her butt in time to recognize that here was a solid man who liked her and was not in her chain of command! Not only that but served on the same ship! The best of all worlds, if only Jackie could wake up and see it.

  Most navy folks knew the marines were best picks. Not in the chain of command, on the same ship, and always lean and athletic! She’s already had dates with no less than two magnificent marines this go-around!

  Chapter 7

  WFS Colt

  The Kapa-Gamma-4 System

  BEEP….BEEP….

  “Lieutenant, report!” commanded the XO.

  “Probe eighteen is reporting the positive identification of a stealth-enabled facility!” exclaimed Lieutenant Shepard. She pushed a few buttons, and the front wall screen showed asteroids in the inner asteroid belt relative to the position of the Colt. “The facility is active and under power!”

  That got everyone’s attention.

  “XO, my ready room! Also, call Commander Amori,” said the captain.

  “Aye sir,” responded Jackie.

  Jackie followed her captain to the ready room after paging the marine commander.

  Commander Amori appeared, Captain De Vitis opened up.

  “Ok, looks like the new Mark-4b’s everyone dreaded have actually paid off. We have a positive identification of one facility hidden under a stealth suite,” De Vitis said.

  “So here’s the plan. We are going to approach on vector Charlie three-two at one-quarter speed. I will give orders shortly to employ the ship’s stealth suite to make our approach.”

  “Uh, sir?” Jackie objected.

  Jeri held up his hand, motioning for her silence.

  “The chief engineer insists the changes he made will give us a decent cloak. Not enough to trick a modern warship, but likely plenty to pull one over on these scum bags. Once we are in range, Commander Amori will launch both MACs directly to the facility to gain control as quickly as possible. This is all according to our previously drawn up plans for these situati
ons. What is not part of those plans is having you, Commander, accompany him!” Jeri said, looking at his XO.

  At that Jackie’s eyes got wide as saucers.

  “But sir, that is against protocol! My place is on the ship!” she exclaimed.

  “Jackie, I know about your little wargames. I know you have an itch that seems only to be scratched by flattening marines.”

  Her alabaster white skin blushed very bright colors.

  “We are out here in the middle of nowhere,” Jeri continued. “Look, if you don’t want it, I will let you stay. But Commander Amori is okay with you playing in his sandbox if you so wish. Besides, your background in cryptology may be useful if access to their computers becomes time sensitive,” Jeri said.

  All this time, Rick sat there silently watching. He hoped she would come, God, he wanted that. He never met a woman who intrigued him more than her. It did not hurt that she was a holy terror on two legs! Well, God help their enemies! But to him, well, he could not help to think there was nothing hotter than a repeat of her taking down an entire company for real this time!

  Jackie considered her options carefully. While it appeared part of her secret was out, her captain did not seem to think ill of her for it, or he would have spoken to her already. And the marine seemed to drink in any time she gave him. Oh, she knew he was attracted to her. That he had not asked her out was a positive in her book, namely because men were so predictable. But he at least seemed more of a thinker.

  Still, her heart ached, it burned for vengeance. It burned for justice to be served. Yes, it had been fifteen years since her husband’s death, and she was free to do whatever she wanted. But she was also the last of her kind. The last Askirti. A long, unbroken line ended with her, the broken one. If she was to get another chance at love, it just did not seem to be in this lifetime.

  “Very well, sirs,” Jackie said with a calmness she did not feel. “Since you both appear to have discussed this without me and thought it was a good idea, who am I to argue with the both of you?”

  Rick and Jeri just laughed.

  ##

  Jackie boarded MAC-One with Rick. All were in unpowered body armor as scans determined that the facility was a known prefab configuration that had too small of corridors for the powered stuff. There were a lot of frustrated men and women on that note as their favorite toys had to stay locked up.

  The MAC was state of the art, unlike the destroyer on which it rode. Their funding came from a different source, directly from the WFS Marine Corps. And they didn’t keep old crap.

  “So, a katana?” Rick asked, looking at Jackie’s build-out. She was dressed in the same black armor as the rest, an assault rifle, pistol, grenades but added a katana.

  “Can’t be too easy to figure out. Otherwise, I would be a man,” she quipped.

  Several marines laughed, most notably, the women.

  “Yeah, okay. Just remember to stick close to me. We have all trained together, you haven’t.”

  “And you wanted me to come on this little adventure?” she replied.

  The pilot called out “drop in ten, drop in ten!”

  Everyone checked and rechecked their safety belts. It was better to be safe than to risk helping the bad guys by breaking themselves before getting to their destination because they were not restrained.

  The two MACs “dropped” out of the destroyer at breakneck speed. Looking at her Heads Up Display, or HUD, projected on the inside of her helmet visor, Jackie could not believe how close the Colt had got without being detected! Apparently, whatever the chief engineer did worked well enough to sneak up on this bunch. Thankfully, she did not worry about the stealth suite functioning properly on the MACs. The marine’s equipment always worked right.

  Having never been on a drop before, she was shocked how fast they approached the facility, which proved unimpressive. Some large asteroid with a set of prefab buildings plopped on it and then interconnected. At least the scans showed artificial gravity. Otherwise, this would suck.

  The facility had two main landing areas. The first looked like the VIP area if a small pad near what looked like an administrative building qualified. The second was a much larger pad near a warehouse. The MACs both vectored towards the larger pad touched down.

  The doors flew open, and the marines flew out, immediately setting up a perimeter. As soon as they unloaded all personnel and equipment, the MACs took off so quick it startled Jackie. These guys did not intend to be sitting around waiting for the bad guys to blow them up!

  “Ortega, Smith, I want that door open! Make it happen!” Rick barked out.

  “Yes sir!” they answered in unison.

  The two marines then rewired the access controls to the airlock door. Moments later, it was unlocked, and they were transferring into the facility five at a time, which is all the airlock could process. Rick and Jackie were the last two in as the marines set up an interior perimeter and regrouped.

  “Okay, you know what to do! But in case you were not paying attention, we will go over it again! First platoon, sector A. Second platoon, sector B. Third platoon, sector C. It is not that complicated! The maps are in your HUDs, and ‘X’ marks the spot!” Rick shouted.

  “Uh, sir? Can you repeat that?” asked Welinski.

  “Shut up Welinski!” Risk retorted. “Okay, no time to lose! Bag ‘em and tag ‘em. If you have questions, ask your platoon leader. Move out!”

  For this operation, the marines left their internal air supplies turned on. While the air inside the facility was breathable, on this small asteroid there was no telling how long that would remain true.

  Rick and Jackie went with the second platoon into sector B, which they hoped was in the direction of command and control center. As they made their way through the facility, Jackie could tell this was cheap construction and poorly maintained. Dirt everywhere, not all the lights were functional, some of the interior doors did not work.

  Suddenly she heard a marine say “Commander, over here.”

  There was what appeared to be a large conference room off one of the adjoining halls. As Jackie approached it with Rick, she had this feeling in the pit of her stomach. Walking into the room only verified that feeling.

  Bodies. Human bodies. They were stacked neatly on each other. Some were clothed, some were not. They were at various levels of decomposition indicating they had not all died together. There were over two hundred of them.

  Jackie took in what she was seeing, trying not to become lost in the insanity of what her eyes were showing her. She noticed there were no elderly among the dead. They were all young, some too young. Some looked starved, being way too skinny. Others looked healthy, minus a hole in their head or another part of their body due to being shot. Then others, well, those looked wrong, very wrong. There were cut marks, evidence of heavy beatings, marks from being whipped, and multiple burns.

  It was a scene straight from Jackie’s home. She nearly lost herself thinking about the atrocities that had so often witnessed. She wanted to run out of the room screaming. She wanted to call for help. She wanted to do anything but be here. For but a moment felt that panic returning from so long ago.

  Push it down. Now is not to time to grieve for these. If you lose it here, you will be no good to the fallen. It is time to put on the mask. It is time put on the Ice Queen. Mercy was not shown to these, neither will it be shown it to those who did this.

  “Jackie, you alright?” Rick asking for himself more than for her. The scene in front of him had him and his troops shaken. Yes, they had trained, and yes some had killed. But the scene here was simply indescribable. None of these had ever witnessed true atrocities.

  “Yes,” she answered, so calmly, almost in a whisper. “It looks like they have been doing this for a while. My guess is once this room fills up they dispose of the bodies to make room for more. They probably have an endless supply of slaves to keep cycling in.”

  God, I don’t even know what to do, I want to puke, Captain Amori grimaced
. I’m barely holding it together, and she sounds like she’s on a field trip at the academy! Pull it together, Rick!

  “Nothing we can do for them, boys and girls, let’s move out!” Rick shouted.

  The rest of his platoon was waiting just ahead, having cleared out the side halls and rooms. It wasn’t long before Rick got news that his other two platoons had engaged the enemy.

  “Fire in the hole!” yelled a marine far down the hallway. The thought of live explosives on a small station on a remote asteroid made Jackie very thankful her armor doubled as a vac-suit.

  Three explosions rocked the facility she was in, though she only saw one. Pulling up her HUD, she noticed the other two blasts were in parallel hallways in this same building. The marines were breaching three locations at one time and rushing those entries, and that was just this platoon! She couldn’t imagine the panic the pirates must have had at the sight of a full company of marines in their puny little hideout.

  Rick hung back with Jackie, while his lieutenants handled the minutia of the battle.

  “Ready to go back to the ship?” Rick asked. He would not force her to stay, not after what they just saw. It may have been a fun thought at the time to bring the wanna-be marine XO along, but this stuff was getting real. While he wasn’t sure what to make of her reaction to the room full of dead people he would give her a chance to bail if she wanted to.

  “Those bodies…we have a debt to pay to the dead, Commander,” she replied said in a slow, calming voice.

  “What are you talking about?” asked Rick.

  She turned directly to him to address him. “The Federation failed them,” she answered quietly. “We are the long arm of justice in this federation, Commander. And justice has landed in this hellhole and will not be denied. Our job is to speak for the innocent, of whom I cannot turn my back on.”

  A cold chill went down Rick’s spine. He could not deny the truth in her words, he felt it too. He just never expected such deep conviction from naval officers. So many were appointees. So few he met would anything more than the bare minimum. Yeah, he knew Captain De Vitis was top-flight, a man of real convictions. He just met no other navy puke officer who felt the same.