Crineal Chronicles 1: In Hera's Service (33 page)

“Lambda
Three, this is Delta Leader. Muscovy, you take over Lambda flight.”

Muscovy’s
voice came back solemnly. “This is Lambda Three, roger that Delta Leader.”

Crineal
could see the dockyards light up with explosions as torpedoes began to strike.
A transport left one of the hangers and boosted away from a disintegrating
dock. He spotted three more transports lifting clear of the asteroid base.
Crineal changed frequencies.

“Ares
Leader, this is Hera Leader. Stop those three transports launching from the
surface.”

“Roger
that, Hera Leader.” Major Jolienze’s soft voice replied.

The
rebel Axes that had launched were trying to make an organized attack but their
command structure had been shattered and they came in piecemeal. Those that
faced Hera squadron scored some hits against Crineal’s fighters but no kills.
The Axes were badly outnumbered and were quickly wiped out. One squadron of
rebels had peeled off and was trying to provide an escort for the transports.
Half of them went to the one leaving the disintegrating space dock, the other
half to cover the three ships launched from the base. Ares Squadron fell on the
latter formation and tore it apart before targeting the transports. Two of them
blew up under the assault but the third drifted dead with its engines knocked
out. A squadron from the Ragnarok intercepted the other transport and its
escort. A few minutes later the rebel formation was a floating cloud of wreckage;
not one ship had survived.

Crineal
fixed his attention back on his tactical display. One rebel cruiser was
attempting to flee, but torpedoes from the Cataclysm’s bomber wing were homing
in her. Crineal saw one rebel destroyer manage to jump out but not before being
heavily damaged. Crineal wondered if it would complete the jump intact. Apart
from the Devastator strike force, the Imperial losses had been light. One hit
to the Annihilator and two on the Armageddon, nothing critical. Three
destroyers had been lost. Two cruisers were badly beaten up but still space
worthy. Several other ships had been hit; however, the damage to them was minor.
He checked the fighter wings. Apart from Captain Hugarl they had lost only
fourteen ships, twelve Hunters and two Bolts. The rebels’ mobile forces were
destroyed and the Imperial carriers were starting to launch the marine assault
craft as they entered the rebel perimeter.

“This
is Zeus. Annihilator Flight Wings Artakon and Betalt form on me to provide
escort for the transports. Cremar Wing continue to cover the bombers. Drelfor
Wing sweep our assigned sector. Ares Squadron, continue to watch for attempts
to escape.” Following his orders, the Annihilator fighter squadrons moved to
their assigned tasks. Crineal’s two flight wings shepherded the assault craft
down to the base and then peeled off to provide cover as the transports landed
and disembarked their troops. Crineal checked his displays once more and then
called the Annihilator.

“This
is Zeus to Olympus Control. Request permission to detach a Ranger from Hermes
to bring up the auxiliaries so they can assist with repairs?”

Ken’Rathel’s
voice answered him. “Permission granted, Zeus. How does it look down there?”

“The
space above the base is quiet. I’m guessing you know more about the marine
assault than I do right now.”

“Resistance
is heavy, but the teams are grinding forward. A few rebels are surrendering but
most seem to be fighting to the death.” The admiral’s tone was grim.

Crineal
had a nasty suspicion why the rebels were fighting. “Admiral, request that we
move to a maximum security channel please?” He waited whilst Ken’Rathel changed
to a more secure link.

“Alright,
General. We’re good. What’s this about?” the admiral asked curiously.

“Sir,
please put a call through to Space Corps HQ using channel beta zed six nine zed
alpha. Ask for Lieutenant Penningal and tell him that it’s a Purgatory team
request. This is urgent, Sir. I have to ask you to do this immediately.”

There
was silence on the other end of the comm for a minute before Ken’Rathel spoke
again. “It’s done, Crineal. Would you mind telling me what’s going on and what
the blazes is a Purgatory team?”

“I’m
sorry, Sir. If you don’t know then I can’t tell you. You’ll have to trust me
that this is important. If HQ wants you to know then you’ll be read in to it. Once
the marines have secured the base, it should be quarantined and any prisoners
kept in isolation. They are not to be interrogated and all data systems are to
be left untouched.” The Purgatory Teams were specialists from Intel tasked with
tracking down the rebels responsible for the torture ships. Even knowledge of
their existence was limited to just a few people outside of HQ. Generally each
strike force had one or two officers who were aware of the situation and would
advise the fleet’s commander when needed.

“All
right, Zeus. I swear, Crineal, you know more about this fleet than I do. Olympus
Control out.”

Crineal
switched frequencies once more. “Hermes Leader, this is Hera Leader. Please
detach one of your pilots to fetch the auxiliaries to us, please.”

“Roger
that, Hera Leader,” replied Major Venace and a minute later one of the scout
ships disappeared from Crineal’s display.  The general relaxed into his couch
to wait the last couple of hours before being able to return to the
Annihilator.

Cyndora
wasn’t really looking forward to a night aboard the auxiliary Forge to say the
least. She and the other assistants were taken to the Forge’s rec dorm where a
number of extra cots had been placed to supplement the existing facilities.
Cyndora and her three friends picked out four beds that were next to each other
and tried to make themselves comfortable despite the crowded conditions.
Cyndora put down her bag and her small purse. She’d been so upset she hadn’t
even looked at what Crineal had packed into the bag.

Jaydea
sat down next to her. “So that was the general, huh? He seems a little short
for a Galactic. Kinda cute, though.”

Cyndora
rested her chin miserably on her drawn-up knees. “He’s from Earth.”

“He
is? I thought I recognized the accent, but I didn’t know there were many
Earthers in the Space Corps, never mind as generals.” Jaydea brushed Cyndora’s
hair back from her face as Marshalla and Xianing moved closer to offer their
support. “Don’t worry, girlfriend. He’ll be ok.”

Xianing
nodded. “He’s got to be. No one else ever made me feel like I meant something
since I came aboard ship.” She patted Cyndora’s shoulder reassuringly.

Cyndora
sighed. “I know. His pilots all adore him, too. He’s a good man.” She pulled
the heavy bag towards her and opened it to look inside. Crineal had packed it
with chocolate bars, a few make-up kits and some lipsticks. Jaydea and
Marshalla took a look, too.

“Blazes!”
Marshalla exclaimed. “He’s trying to make sure ya don’t need for anything for a
long while if he don’t come back.”

Cyndora
closed the bag for a moment, lost in thought. “Well, I don’t need it because
he’s coming back,” she declared stubbornly. “Marsh, how many people do you think
there are in this dorm?”

Marshalla
looked around. “I dunno. Maybe about a hundred?” she replied trying to assess
the number of milling assistants.

Cyndora
did a quick count of the bars. “Ok, you take two bars each and then Xian, if
you could get me half a dozen trays from the mess hall? And you two can help me
break up these remaining bars into thirds.” Xianing trotted off to get the
trays whilst Cyndora and the other two began breaking up the chocolate. When
the oriental woman returned with the trays Cyndora started laying out the
pieces on them. Once that was done she stood on her bed, her feet balanced on
the frame for support.

“Quiet
everyone!” she yelled. “I have free chocolate for you all courtesy of General
Crineal. If you’d like some please form a line at my bed.” She stepped down as
the other assistants started to queue up.

Jaydea
grabbed her arm. “Are you crazy, girl? You’re going to give this stuff away?”

Cyndora
turned to Marshalla. “What’s the most important thing in the dorm, Marsh?”

The
dusky woman nodded her understanding. “Share what ya got. She’s right, Jay. I
bet the general would like this, too.”

Xianing
was already standing with a tray handing out pieces. The assistants nodded
their thanks to Cyndora as they took their share. Some knew who she was and
thanked her by name. Marshalla, Xianing, Jaydea and Cyndora stood there handing
out the precious chocolate until only a few pieces were left. Everyone was
sitting around the dorm room carefully savoring the candy. The four friends
finished up the last pieces between them. Cyndora looked at the make-up kits
and lipsticks that remained in the bag. She tipped them out onto the bed. There
were five make-up cases and about a dozen lipsticks.

“Ok,
share these out between you,” she said.

Marshalla
looked at her. “Are you sure, Cyndy? You might need these.”

“No,”
she said defiantly. “No, I won’t.”

During
the evening some of the assistants from the Forge came over to thank her again,
having found out who she was. Her three friends sat around her to make sure she
wasn’t unduly troubled by anyone and they helped to answer some of the
questions the people from the Forge had about Crineal and what had been
happening in the Annihilator’s rec areas following Commander Del’Tarim’s arrest
and trial. Eventually the visits tapered off and the four of them tried to
settle down to rest.

Marshalla
chuckled. “You know you just added another bit to the general’s legend and your
own? Soon every assistant will want on the Annihilator.”

Cyndora
thought about that a little. “You heard what he said. He wants to make sure all
assistant rights are enforced. I think things are going to get better for
everyone.”

On
the far side of Marshalla, Xianing spoke up. “She’s right, Marsh. I wouldn’t
bet against the general. I think he’ll make sure everyone’s treated right.”

Cyndora
tried to fall asleep but she was worried about tomorrow. Mainly it was for Crin,
but Fel, Saphy and even Major Strieger were in her thoughts. They would all be
in danger. Cyndora shifted restlessly on the bed until she felt someone cuddle
up behind her with a sigh.

“You’re
keeping me awake, girlfriend,” Jaydea said quietly. Cyndora remembered the bad
nights in prison and the training center when Jaydea would comfort her like
this. She held onto Jaydea’s hand feeling a little better already. “You two are
in love, huh?” her friend asked her gently, keeping her voice low so that no
one else would hear.

 “Yes,”
whispered Cyndora. “Please don’t tell anyone, Jay.”

“My
lips are sealed, sweetie. I wouldn’t be surprised if Marsh has guessed though
and I’m certain Xian knows. She’s a smart cookie when it comes to people. But
we won’t tell.” Jaydea hugged her. “Now get some sleep so I can get some rest,
too.”

Cyndora
settled a little and she felt Jaydea fall asleep. Eventually she fell into a
troubled doze, waiting for the morning.

The
dorm stayed crowded the following morning as the rec areas were shut down
whilst the crew was on alert. Cyndora’s friends tried to keep her spirits up,
but the hours seemed to drag on endlessly. Eventually, they felt the funny
little shiver that indicated a jump. Still they waited and no one came in to
tell them anything. Their access to the data nets was severely limited so they
couldn’t even query that source. Finally, later in the afternoon, a group of
guards arrived to escort them back to the shuttle bay. Some of the Forge’s assistants
came to wish Cyndora and her three friends’ goodbye before they left. She sat
nervously in her seat for the entire trip and was glad when the shuttle touched
down. The lieutenant who had been in charge of loading them onto the shuttles
the day before was there to oversee their return. Cyndora stopped nervously in
front of him as he worked on his data pad.

“Yes?”
he asked before looking up with a semi-irritated expression at having been
interrupted in his work. His face grew puzzled as he tried to recollect who she
was.

“Sir?
I’m Assistant Cyndora, I’m assigned to General Crineal.” She wasn’t sure if it
was a statement or a question right now.

“Oh,
yes. I remember now.” The lieutenant’s face cleared. “What’s the problem?”

Cyndora
stood there not sure how to ask the question she wanted to. Marshalla came to
her rescue “Sir. We don’t know what’s happened and Cyndora is worried about the
general.”

“Oh.
Of course. Let me check.” The young officer consulted his data pad for a minute.
“Looks like he touched down twenty minutes ago. He’s probably in debriefing
right now. If you hurry you should be able to be in his quarters before he gets
back there.”

Cyndora
let out a huge sob of relief and began to cry. Jaydea, Marshalla and Xianing
gathered around her to hold her up and hug her.

“See,
girlfriend? I told you he’d be ok,” Jaydea said, looking as pleased as
anything. The lieutenant stood watching the four of them unsure of whether he
should issue reprimands or offer assistance. In the end he decided to ignore
them.

“I’m
ok,” Cyndora sobbed. “I want to get back so I’m ready when he gets there.”

Xianing
smiled at her. “Yeah, you need to run and clean up, Cyndy. You’re a fright when
you’ve been crying,” she teased.

“Go
on, Cyndy,” Marshalla said kindly. “We’ll see ya in a couple of days,” and gave
her a push towards the smaller bay doors leading to the pilots’ area. Cyndora
was running before she reached the door.

Crineal
opened the door to his quarters and stepped in, immediately starting to unzip
his flight suit as he headed to the shower. Ten minutes later he was in a clean
uniform and feeling much refreshed. Settling at the table with a cup of tea, he
picked up his data pad to study some of the battle reports before attending to Hera
Squadron’s debriefing. The sound of the door sliding open caused him to look
up. Cyndora almost fell through the entrance and then saw him seated at the
table.

Crineal
had just enough time to put his tea down and say “Hey youmpph” before she was
wrapped around him, crying and giving him kisses. He hugged her back whilst
weathering the storm of emotion. Finally Crineal managed to speak. “Miss me
much?” he asked breathlessly.

Cyndora
kissed him again, smiling through the tears. “Don’t ever send me away like that
again.”

He
brushed the dampness from her cheeks. “Sorry, Love. I can’t promise that. I
won’t leave you in danger if I can help it.” She looked at him before nodding
helplessly in understanding and then kissed him some more. They were
interrupted by the buzzing of his comm link.

He
managed to find a little separation from her to answer it. “Crineal here.”

Major
Strieger’s voice replied. “Sir? The pilots are all assembled.”

“Thank
you, Major. I’ll be right there.” Crineal killed the link. “Sorry, Cyndy, duty
calls. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Cyndora
nodded, sniffling still. “I know. You’d better go and I’ll get cleaned up.”

Crineal
gave her a steady look. “That’s going to be difficult to do whilst you’re still
sitting on my lap,” he said, making a point of her current seating position.

Sniffling
again, she agreed with him. “That’s true.” Cyndora made no attempt to move.

Crineal
kissed her once more and pushed himself up, forcing her to stand as well. “I
promise that I’ll give you all the attention you want later. Deal?”

She
slowly dropped her arms from his neck. “You’d better.” A thought struck her.
“Is Fel ok? And Saphy?”

“They’re
both fine. I’ll tell them you asked,” Crineal said reassuringly.

“And
tell the Major, too.” she asked whilst sealing up his jacket.

“I
will.” He hugged her to him tightly, very conscious of the thin material of her
uniform and her shapely body beneath it pressed up against him. “Now, I really
have to go.” Crineal gave her one last loving kiss on the lips before leaving
his quarters.

Hera
Squadron was waiting for him as he entered the ready room and they snapped to
attention and saluted. Crineal waved them back into their seats. Major Strieger
was waiting for him by the stand.

“Not
like you to be late,” she whispered to him as he approached her.

 Crineal
gave her a small smile. “Cyndy got back just before I left.” Strieger nodded at
him in understanding tinged with amusement. The debriefing lasted for about an
hour before he dismissed them with a promise of further meetings in the days
ahead.

“Lieutenant
Feldea? Lieutenant Saphya? Would you mind staying behind please? You too, Major.”
The three women dutifully waited as the room cleared. Once they were alone
Crineal relaxed a little. “Cyndy asked me to tell all of you that she’s glad
you’re ok. She was worried about you apparently.”

Feldea
smiled fondly. “She’s a sweetie, Sir. Tell her I’ll see her soon.” Crineal
nodded and the two younger women left the room.

“I
gather she was somewhat emotional, Sir?” Strieger offered with a laugh in her
voice.

“Just
a little,” he agreed wryly.

Strieger
waited for a moment and then asked quietly. “What do you think happened with
the Devastator, Sir?”

“Maybe
someone got antsy over there and messed up the data-package? They fought well,
though. Whatever their record was like beforehand, they gave a good account of
themselves at the last.” The major nodded somberly in agreement and they both
stood quietly for a moment. “Well, I promised Cyndy I’d get back to her as soon
as I could. So if you’ll excuse me, Major?”

Strieger
grinned at him. “By all means, Sir. Say hi to her from me as well. If you get a
chance between the kissing, of course.”

Crineal
grinned back at her before leaving the room to return to his waiting assistant.

Admiral
Ken’Rathel sat in his office, working despite the lateness of the hour. Finally,
he set down his data pad and put a call through to Admiral Sybilene. He was
unsurprised when she answered immediately from her own office. He thought she
looked as tired as he felt.