Duty, Honour, Love

Karasena and Mark watched the dropships descend. It was finally over all that death and destruction now it was time to count the cost and rebuild.

“How many did we lose?” she asked Mark she didn’t want to but she had to know if it had been worthwhile.

“About six hundred civilians, and that was counting the settlements outside Hawthorn. We’ve lost a hundred and fifty Militia.” Mark grimaced his eyes sad. “I’ve lost seven of my crew including Sharon she’ll be sorely missed. And you’ve lost at least a dozen.” He glanced to the sky. “We’ve got twice as many wounded. Kathleen’s had to take over a couple of apartment buildings and turn them into makeshift hospitals.”

“Raiders?”

“We’ve estimated that they’ve lost a thousand.”

Karasena winced at the figure it didn’t make sense. “Why?” She had answered her question. They’d come to destroy any knowledge of Mark and his ship. It had been too late for that since she had given her data to Admiral Katares. “That information is now out there?” She looked at the spiralling smoke she couldn’t begin to guess the cost of rebuilding. All she could do now was wait for the reinforcements.

~~~

A week later they’d gathered in the only available large open space the spaceport. Someone had the forethought to erect a platform. It was behind this that Karasena stood with the others. The only one she had wanted at her side wasn’t here. Mark was out front with the Militia keeping order for the Memorial Ceremony. Her gut churned with fear she was about to address a huge audience. The crowd could be estimated at several thousand. She tasted bile in her mouth. How was she supposed to address all those people it was bad enough when she had to address her soldiers on the parade ground at the base.

“Keep calm and don’t deviate from the script ok,” A voice behind her said.

Karasena turned to see Dareia standing there her hands on a wheelchair with Jane in it. She noted something different about Jane she had her hair tucked behind her ears. Ears that should have been Humanly round but they slight points to them.

Dareia must have read Karasena’s concern from her mind. “Don’t worry Kathleen assures me that it will be ok we’re changing becoming more as one. She says there’s never been a Human/ T’Arni mind link so we’re becoming more compatible with each other.”

Karasena swiftly changed subjects. “So why I am I doing this again?”

“Because you organised the defence of Erikino. You didn’t have to do it. You and Mark stood shoulder to shoulder and fought. You could have just left it to the Chief but you took it on and not just you. Mark didn’t have to do anything but he followed you. Please stick to the script it gave you enough headaches just trying to compose it so don’t blow it now?”

Bile welled in Karasena’s throat she tried to hold it down and failed miserably. She leaned against a pillar holding up the platform and puked.

“You ok?” Dareia asked alarmed.

“I don’t know,” Karasena answered truthfully. Her mouth tasted foul.

“Kathleen!” Dareia called. “Karasena’s ill?”

Kathleen appeared Laura at her. She had a medical gauntlet on her hand she ran it over Karasena’s body seemly to linger on her belly. “Deep breaths,” Kathleen told her.

All Karasena wanted to do was puke again she put it down to nerves. Suddenly Kathleen began laughing Karasena didn’t find it funny.

“What’s so funny!” Karasena demanded angrily.

“Vomiting is normal for a woman in your condition. You’re all the same be you Human, Ezaran, T’Arni or Valkyrie.”

“Condition, what condition?” Karasena growled then the realisation hit her. “What?” she cried out shocked.

“You’re pregnant,” Kathleen said with a grin.

Dareia and Jane glanced at each other as shocked, as Karasena must have looked.

“I can’t be?” Karasena was confused. She knew she had sex with Mark but she thought she would be safe. Special circumstances had to be in place to enable a Human/ T’Arni hybrid. “I thought we had to produce a child through a lab?”

“Not by any means,” Kathleen told her. “Plenty of children have been born through natural means.”

Karasena hadn’t the chance to ask Kathleen further questions. A Military ground car and two ATV transports pulled up. They weren’t from her base. They were the ones the 43rd had brought with them.

“What do they want?” Karasena grouched glad to be off such a touchy subject.

The ground car had crisp hard lines and smaller than average windows. It looked like it was built for war. The ATV transports were no different from their own if a little newer. A number of armoured soldiers got off the ATVs. A major in full dress uniform exited the ground car followed by a pale thin T’Arni in civilian clothes. The symbol of the Confederacy stark on the back of his hand. He was a tepe then so was Dareia but she had refused to be ‘branded’ as she had called it. The two were both men the major a Human with what seemed a permanent scowl.

“Captain Karasena!” the major said abruptly.

Karasena saluted following protocol even if the major wasn’t. “Sir?”

“You will turn over all your prisoners to me!”

“I thought you had all the raiders in hand?” The major’s attitude got her back up.

“Not those, your Terran prisoners from the crashed ship?”

“Crashed ship?” Karasena was still trying to process what he was implying.

“Are deaf as well as stupid!” the major snapped at her.

She felt Dareia step up beside her.

“Major, we do not have any Terran prisoners?” Which wasn’t technically true. The Chief had the three from White Mountain in his lock up. The rest of Mark’s crew had helped fight off the raiders. No one considered anyone that helped defend the planet as an enemy. Well most of them didn’t but there were a few that had objected. Which was why they were having this Memorial Ceremony.

The major turned to the T’Arni. “Is she lying?”

Karasena felt that insulting, he had no right to say that.

“I can’t tell I’m being blocked,” The tepe said.

“Who?” the major demanded his hand on his sidearm strapped to his waist.

“Me,” Dareia told him. “Watch your attitude asshole?” Dareia wasn’t in uniform she was wearing a floral dress matching the one Jane was wearing.

“Captain you’re letting this ‘thing’ treat me like that?” the major glared at Karasena. “I can have you arrested for mutiny and harbouring fugitives.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you?” a voice said. The Chief had arrived but he wasn’t alone he’d brought Security and Militia with him.

The major whipped around to glare at the Chief. “And why not?”

“You are surrounded, do you really want to make an issue here?” The Chief flicked his hand to Eloise and Daisy standing behind him and the hundred or so Security and Militia. “This is going to the whole of Erikino and beyond. Are going to make a scene. You’ve stepped onto Erikino and are subject to Erikino law, the Confederacy Constitution has it in their law books. I suggest you read them?”

The major pointed to Jane in her wheelchair her expression matching Dareia’s. “She’s one on the Terrans. Jane Walberg.”

“That’s where you are wrong,” Jane said calmly. “I’m Melissa Van Rynn. My parents run the Van Rynn publishing company. Check it if you want to?”

Karasena stared a Jane she wasn’t lying somehow she could tell. She spotted Mark amongst the Militia looking shocked. As much as she wanted to be with him she had more pressing matters.

“What is going on here?” A new voice demanded.

Karasena recognised General Osward her heart sank she was going to lose Mark. She saluted bitter feelings in her stomach and that wasn’t down to the baby.

“General?” the major started.

Osward held his hand up to stop him. “Son,” Osward addressed the major benignly. “Please don’t embarrass the 43rd further. If Captain Karasena states she as no Terran prisoners then she has no Terran prisoners. Anyone that defended this world against the raiders is a dam hero in my books.”

Karasena was confused until she realised he was using the word ‘Son’ figuratively.

“Sir we’re at war the regulations state…” the major sputtered.

Osward cut him off again. “Son, listen. You’ve never been on the front lines, never seen your comrades die. Never tasted the bitterness of not doing enough. Anoxi, Praxi.”

Karasena saw him nod to Dareia.

“Just go, we’ll have long talk later about what you can and not do. Dismissed major.”

Osward turned to regard Karasena. “Haven’t you got a Memorial Ceremony to conduct?”

“Yes sir!” Karasena saluted.

The rest of the day was a whirl she couldn’t remember much after that. The dead defenders were named and they along with the survivors were awarded the Defenders of Erikino medal.