Page 4

Base Kasey

Hel was amazed that her brother-in-law had named the new base after her sister. That was crazy, but apparently, it was not unusual among the Majuri. Today, they would go on a mission, and she thought that would be easier on her. It was what she had trained for, and she was good at it. That didn't stop her from getting up early and reviewing all the information they had gathered on the people sent to the new base. Most were trained in something. Many of them had worked for Mercury in some form or another.

Those people could immediately be put to work, but some of them would have to come on the ship to do the work that would be required of them. For others, a building would have to be put in place with the necessary equipment for them to get their job done. Those who had been part of the gang had little education or training in anything worthwhile. She had found two that could cook and one that had worked in housekeeping at a motel where they came from. They could be put to work cooking and cleaning for those at the base.

The others had interests they could be trained for, and a couple wanted to be warriors. Once they received training, they would be security on the planet. It would be impossible to be a hundred percent sure of them since there was no way to run a background check. These people simply had no background that could be confirmed. Hel sent the instructions to the person in charge, hoping they would follow them. It was a start, but now it was time to go to breakfast and meet with the squad.

Everyone was waiting at the table, but they were already eating. Hel had her food and drink and went ahead and dug in. The food on the ship was good, making it easier to eat quickly, even though she wanted to savor it. Certain foods were rarely served because of the expense and the difficulty of cooking them, and today was the day they had one of the more expensive meals. Steak and eggs were always popular, and few people missed the days it was served if they knew. Today was a surprise because she hadn't been expecting it. This meal would stick with her and help her through a difficult day.

They all got up and headed out as soon as she was done. It was time to get to work. Ronner was the pilot for the trip, and the rest of the team sat in the back. The robot loaded last, and he stood by the door, ready to exit as soon as they landed. She couldn't deny that the robot made her safer, and maybe it was partly because she had a history with it and had played with it as a child. It was about five years old, so she had already been a teen when it had been made. Manufacturing would have started about the time the attack did, which delayed it.

Now, the Majuri were setting up a plant and getting ready to put out robots in large numbers. Hel couldn't say if they produced the large and the small robots so they could combine them into what they had with them right now. She thought that would be a good idea because the small robot had some capabilities that the large one did not. No one would care about her opinion. Hel needed to get her head back in the game.

The shuttle slowed as it prepared to land in the middle of an empty lot near their destination. This wasn't one of the better-known research facilities that Mercury used. That might be why there were no gangs gathered nearby. Entry was no problem, but she suspected someone would figure out where they had landed and gather a welcoming party before they left. The research center was underground except for a small entry area. She would compare it to some guard shacks she had seen in pictures.

They ran to the entry, leaving the robot to bring up the rear. Hel punched in the code, and the door opened. She stood there, keeping it open until the robot made it in. The following code opened the door to an elevator with stairs beside it. Her squad took the elevator, leaving the stairs for the robot. When they reached the lowest level, they exited the elevator, and the lights turned on automatically. The robot joined them quickly. She looked around, and memories hit hard. She and Lane had done their schoolwork fast so they could play in an area set aside for just that purpose. Many of the employees who worked at this facility had children who came to work with them.

This was a beta test to see if providing employee childcare was feasible. Only infants were excluded. It had been a resounding success, and the place was usually full of children daily. Many of the older ones had been her friends. Most of them were probably dead. The others had either fled or were hiding from the gangs. Hel shook her head to clear the ghosts of the past. She moved past the play area to the large safe that held anything of value. It was a shock that the door was open.

"I suspect that should have been closed," Flander observed. "Can you tell if anything is missing?"

"It's hard to be sure, but I suspect they were hurrying to get out of here. At first glance, nothing is missing."

She hoped she was right, but if something had been taken, it would already be in use by now. No one had seen any tech like this, nor were there rumors of it anywhere. Hel couldn't say if they produced the large and the small robots so they could combine them into what they had with them right now. They got to work immediately. There were several tubs already packed up, and they packed several more. There was another robot that differed from the other two. This one looked human. The word Android came to mind.

Hel remembered this robot discussing her and Lane's lessons with them. This was an intelligent robot, but it could also shoot a gun. Kasey had planned to make these personal guard robots. They were more expensive because they were intended to eventually blend in with people. The Majuri could have moved forward in robotics generations ago, but their emperors had not been thinking forward since Chief Radvar. This current Emperor would have disappointed Radvar immensely. He only planned to use robotics because he didn't have enough warriors for the new areas he intended to add to the Empire.

She was against him extending the Empire beyond its old limits, but nothing she could do would change that. Unlike Radvar, who extended treaties and protection but left planets under their control, this Emperor would seize complete control. The old fool wanted to be known as the Emperor of the largest known Empire ever. That is his goal. He needed robots because he would never have enough warriors to cover those large spaces, especially in lawless areas. That was what had convinced him to step up the technical aspects that were available to his warriors. He said it was because he wanted to see his warriors safe, but the truth was, Everything he couldn't care less about.

Everything was ready to go and flashed up instantly. The Android would exit with them. She suspected they would find gangs hanging around when they left, so she locked up as they left. They rode up in the elevator. The Android rode with them while the other robot took the stairs. Once they were on the ground floor, she saw a crowd waiting for them. A mother pushed her child toward them, telling him to go to them.

Are they sending them children now? The child joined them, and they had no choice but to take him and do their best to protect him. Hel picked him up and ran toward the spaceship with the Android, giving what protection it could. She turned to look out of the shuttle and saw that other children had been sent forward toward her team. She should be more understanding because this was no place for a child to live. Many of the children on the planet died, and many more would if something wasn't done.

When they lifted off, they had a dozen children and no parents. Some of the parents may be able to join them later. She could only hope that would be the case. Their shuttle lifted off the ground and returned to the ship with twelve scared children missing their parents on it with them. They hoped they could track down these parents and get them back to their children. Meanwhile, they would have to have a plan on how to handle the children until their parents were found.

Hel couldn't say what had happened lately had shown her that her work was essential or a terrible mistake. This was all Flander’s plan, but it seemed he hadn't been expecting many things that had occurred. She would never have thought that he was the type to dole out mercy to his enemy, but it showed that she didn't know him. She'd known him for two years, which was as long as she'd known anybody on board, and yet she still did not know what he felt deep inside. That was a sign that he didn't share his true self with her.

Flander was a quiet man most of the time and difficult to understand. Most warriors were like that, and she applied the saying still waters run deep. They were back on the ship now, and she needed to get her mind on business. Finding places for the children and getting them set up shouldn't be too hard since some of the warriors had mates and children on board. Setting up these children with families already on board might also be possible. That might help them feel a sense of belonging so they wouldn't feel so bad about being here instead of with their parents. Hel could understand how they felt since she had lost her parents too and thought they had both died. She'd been older but had seen what Lane, her younger brother, had gone through.

A couple of the kids were older teenagers, and she knew they would be put in the warrior program. It had not been so bad when she was placed in it, so she had hoped it would work out for them, too. They all exited the shuttle, including the robots. The children stood there waiting to see what would become of them. Hel could remember feeling the same way. She moved forward, and both robots moved with her.

"All you guys from Purgatory, if you are hungry or thirsty, follow me, and we'll all get something to eat." Unsurprisingly, they all followed her, and she headed to the cafeteria.

It was lunchtime, so she got her tray and showed all the kids how to get their trays and fill them with food and drink. Some of the little ones needed help, so she helped them. Even though it was usually a busy time in the cafeteria, many warriors went to the bay to see what was happening. She claimed two tables that were close together, and all the children set their trays down and began to eat or drink. She realized that most of these kids didn't get enough food. This was a good way to distract them until someone decided where the children would go.

A medical team began removing the children one by one. Another team, probably mates and all females, started taking some children to clean up and get new clothing. It was good to see that the children were staying calm and that things were going well. After eating, she went by medical to pick up some of the younger children and take them to the play area. It was alright to do so since they had been cleaned up and given new clothing while they had been checked out. Some of the children had never seen a playground before. Those were probably children of gang members. There had been a lot of playgrounds on Purgatory at one time.

Hel loved children, but she was exhausted by the time everyone was settled. That it was such a job with only a dozen children made her wonder what it would be like to resettle hundreds. It was what the plan was when it came to the gangs. The plan wouldn't be worth anything if a good portion of the gangs weren't resettled and removed from the equation as far as the battle went. Admittedly, she was beginning to see the value of Flander’s plan. Since it would reduce the number of enemies, it would save people on both sides. That made it an excellent plan and well worth the time she would have to put into it. Tomorrow, they will be hitting the planet's surface once more with the little slips of paper, hoping to get more of them to accept their offer.

The larger ship they would be taking would accommodate more people. Hopefully, the positive results they've had yesterday will increase today. Those in the gangs were treated poorly and often died after a few months of being in the service. Why would anyone want that? Hel hurried to her room so she could clean up and check on the place where they were resettling people. There was a lot of work to be done there. She checked to see if her suggestions had been followed. She was glad they had been and that other things had been done, moving the project forward.

A warrior should be able to see the value in saving lives and preventing unnecessary fighting. Flander had seen it, and Ranni had agreed. Hel had seen the value; she just didn't understand why she was the one who had to do it. Maybe she was beginning to understand that this was not a job anyone wanted to take, but someone had to.

"Come to supper with me," Flander suggested.

Hel checked the clock. It was past her usual supper time. How had so much time passed?

“Sure. Lead the way.”

They headed to the dining room where the others were waiting. The two teenagers were sitting with them as well. A boy and a girl sat at the table, looking uncertain. Hel remembered when she had joined the military. She felt like her background had been more stable and that had made it easier. These two had left one bad situation and felt like they were headed into another one. What she didn't understand is why they were sitting here at her squad's table.

“These are two new trainees, and they will be working with us," Jaird explained.

Hel wasn't sure it was a good idea to put two new trainees with the squad that handled the most dangerous missions. Maybe there was a reason for it that she could not find. It was also possible they would only be working on the ship and not going down on the missions. They might also be assigned to work at the new base, which she hoped would be safe enough for them. She was glad making these decisions was not her job because she would have difficulty deciding where to put trainees, especially when they didn't know what talents or skills they already had.

The next day, as they were loading the shuttle, she noticed that the two trainees were on board. At least going to the new base would be safer than going to the planet. These two were too young to be placed in any danger. Unfortunately, there was danger everywhere they went. They were heading to Base Kasey and would work with those there to get things organized and ensure that everyone brought there recently had been resettled in the best way possible. She wondered if they would leave the trainees at the base with some of the veteran warriors.

Hel was disappointed when they arrived to see that chaos still ruled. At least a tent was set up to serve meals to all the residents. Those residents had been housed in a large tent and were sleeping in sleeping bags. Since the weather was comfortable, things became easier. The building had begun, but it was impossible to tell what it would look like. They needed many things like an armory, housing, offices, and a permanent cafeteria.

Once things were proven safe, civilian builders would be brought in to complete the base. Knowing how many people would end up living there was hard, but she suspected the number would be significant. How would they deal with more people arriving tomorrow, possibly in larger numbers? She needed to find a way to get the necessary supplies and personnel to do the job. The situation of the refugees wasn't much better than it had been on the planet. The only difference was that they were fed and didn't have to fight for their meals.

The two new recruits watched with wide eyes, unsure of what was going to happen to them. Hel wanted to reassure them, but she didn't know how.

“Do either of you know how to cook?” She asked.

They both nodded, and it was no surprise they had been taught by the time they reached their age. She led them to the cafeteria tent, where an overworked and frustrated lady looked at them with concern.

“Did I need to do something else?” She asked.

"No, I've brought you two helpers. Take good care of them, and don't overwork them."

“I will.” The lady smiled and rushed the two kids away.

Hel assumed they would be doing some boring but easy kitchen jobs. It was time to hurry to find those organizing the base. She was surprised that she was among the few officers around. Hadn't they put an officer in charge? It didn't look like they had. She immediately gathered some warriors and put them to work. Things were beginning to happen, and it was a relief because more people would arrive tomorrow. If things didn't change here, they couldn't handle the extra people. She wasn't even sure what resources they would have available for the base.

Her plan was to order needed things until she was told no. She began her list, and when she completed all the things needed immediately, she passed it to one of the sergeants that was currently working on supplies.

“Wow. You think they're going to send us all this?”

“We'll see. If they don't, we'll just start with what is sent," Hel observed.

“I'm not sure if you're an optimist or just ordering a lot and hoping they'll send at least half of it," he said.

“Why can't I be both?”

The old warrior laughed and began to input the requests. It would be a while before a reply came, and then they would know what to work with. The good thing was that they had at least a small number of supplies in hand that they could work with. Hel went in search of her squad. They were in the building zone, working on the first building.

“What is this going to be?” She asked.

“Because of the large number of refugees, we are going to build an apartment house. I've also ordered some prefab buildings that can be easily put together, so we will need a foundation to set them up. We will use that for offices and the cafeteria," Flander explained. “Are you ready to go because we've been called back to the ship.”

“What about our two new recruits?”

“The cook thanked me and said she would be training them. She'll also take them somewhere to settle them in. Time to go.”

It wasn't like she had a choice. She had to follow orders, and it was time to go. She would check on them the next time they came to base, which should be tomorrow. They all headed back to the shuttle and then back to the ship. It was lunchtime; they ate their meal, and then she went to the office to do more work.

“Are you ready for supper?” Flander asked.

“What?” She hadn’t realized it was anywhere near that late. “I didn’t know it was this late. Let’s go.”

He was trying to look after her, and that was sweet. It still made her feel like a little sister. Would he never see her as a grown woman? It did look like it. Three months after she'd turned eighteen, he still didn't treat her as anything but a little sister. She thought about moving on, but no one else appealed to her.

"You look disappointed," Flander said.

"No, I'm fine," Hel replied.

Flander grabbed her and pushed her up against the wall. His lips covered hers, and he kissed her hungrily. Oh, dear. She couldn't resist him. Her lips opened slightly, and his tongue sunk into her mouth. Her tongue moved to dance with his, and her nipples hardened. She felt the dampness between her legs and knew he could scent it. It didn't matter because he was making her feel so good. Loud laughter was headed their way, and he stepped back. A group of warriors were heading their way, and she moved in the direction they had been headed, with Flander following her. Hel hurried, hoping to outrun the warriors so they wouldn't pick up on the smell of her need.

She was embarrassed and confused because of that kiss. It was the first time she’d seen any sign of desire from Flander. Hel had no idea how to deal with it, and now she would have to adjust her feelings about him. Why had he waited so long to show her any sign that he might desire her? It was hard to understand, so she pushed it aside to join the others for supper. Everyone looked at her as she sat down. It could be embarrassing to work with guys that could smell so much. Hel ignored them and started eating. What else could she do? Tonight, she would have sweet dreams about Flander.

It was the next morning, and they had their next mission on the planet. Everyone was eating breakfast. When finished, they would head to the shuttle. Hel was the last to be done. She finished up quickly, and they all headed out. This ship wasn't a shuttle, but a small ship docked under the large ship. It would hold at least five hundred people and supplies. The pilot was one of those that usually flew this ship. They all found a seat in the front, sat down, and put on their harness. The ship took off as soon as they were loaded.

This ship was faster than the shuttle but sized to land on a planet. The landing was fast and attracted the attention of everyone for miles. They were on the opposite side of the planet. The small facility looked more like a warehouse. It was metal and locked down and had managed to avoid being infiltrated. Hel moved to the front and put in a code that opened the door immediately. Their robots took a protective position in the rear, but no one had tried to shoot yet.

Everything was on one level, making it easy to find. This was the simplest of the facilities so far. It took no time to get the tubs flashed up to the ship and they were leaving the small warehouse. They were mobbed with people trying to get on the airplane when somehow, she was separated from her squad and the robots. She was knocked out, and she assumed she was dragged away.

When she woke, she was tied up completely with ropes. Hel began to work on those ropes while she tried to figure out where she was and who had managed to capture her. There was no one around, and she was in a small room. It smelled musty, which was common in unused rooms. Without seeing more of the building, there was no way to be sure of where she was. Hel thought they had made a mistake because the Majuri would search for her. Few people knew that every warrior had a tracker implanted in them once they passed their training. Finding her wouldn't be difficult.

When they caught those who had taken her, they would be hard on them. That's why few of their enemies tried to capture a warrior. Warriors expected to die in battle, but to be abducted, they considered that an insult to their kind. These people didn't realize what they had unleashed upon themselves. Hel still didn't plan to wait to be rescued. She was working on her ropes when she heard the door open. Pausing, she waited to see who had taken her. Hel almost gasped when she saw her captor.

“Darian? What did you do?” She asked.

“They took you, so I got you back.”

“They'll come get me, and they will destroy anyone that had anything to do with taking me. You must let me go.”

“Remember when we were younger, and we talked about how we would always be friends. They took you and your siblings, and I couldn't do a thing. Things are different now, and I've saved you. You're safe here. You don't have to worry," Darian explained.

“I've always been safe. You're the one I'm worried about because they are going to come after me, and they will kill you and anyone who helped you. They don't tolerate abductions of their warriors.”

“Are you telling me that you're one of them? They've brainwashed you because there's no other explanation.”

“We all make the best choices that we can. When we were caught, they gave us some choices. My choice was to divide my time between learning to be a doctor and being a warrior. It was better than being in Purgatory and being hunted constantly. I'm not sure why you stayed here. This is not a good place to be right now.” Hel mentioned.

“This is our planet; this place is home. Where else would I go? These others that came here need to leave. We don't need them or want them.”

“I don't believe that's going to be your choice. We are just pawns on a chessboard. Others make the major decisions. If you let me go and I get back quick enough, maybe they won't come after you.”

“You really want to go back? I thought you wanted to be free of them.” Darian observed.

“The truth is that we will never be free of them no matter what we do.”

“You're not the girl I used to know. They have changed you. Take some time and think about what you really want.”

He turned and left, leaving her to think about what he had said. She didn't need to think about it because he had no plan. Even if he did, he didn't have the resources to defeat the Empire. She didn't know anyone that did. Hel got back to working off the ropes around her hands. If he really thought that she wanted to come back, why had he tied her up so well? Deep inside, he had to know that there was no going back. Purgatory would never be where it had been before the Grabber attack. Nothing would have been left had the Majuri warriors not descended upon the planet and driven the Grabbers away.

Darian had to know it was the truth, but now that the Grabbers were gone, he wanted to eliminate the Majuri, too. She also wished for the old days when the emperors would have saved the planet and then turned it back over to the population, asking only for a trade and defense agreement. Those days had gone when the previous Emperor had died, and this one had taken over. He was not a credit to his line and never would be. Hel felt that one of the ropes was loosening, and she continued to work on it. Her blood soaked into the rope. That would help make it slippery. Eventually, she would be able to work herself free.

It was her hope that he would give her a reasonable amount of time so that she could escape. When they saw her, most males thought that she was defenseless, and she had been taken easily enough that he would probably continue to believe that. She was upset that she hadn't been able to put up a fight because she was a warrior. Hel had not even seen it coming, and no one had expected it. Her squad would be upset not only at her but also at themselves for allowing this to happen.